Code Geass: Mosaic of Memories
by Appalooza
Summary: Unfinished story about Code Geass
1. Descent Into Darkness

**Code Geass: Mosaic of Memories  
R1: Rebellion**

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**A/N: I'm gonna try to make as few author's notes as possible in my chapters, but I'll make one here. This story has been in the works since late in 2017, even though it was published on August 10th, 2019. A lot of thinking has gone into this story, so it's going to be a long journey going forward. This story will use elements from most canon material, such as "Lelouch of the Rebellion", "Akito the Exiled", "Oz the Reflection" and bits and pieces from "Renya of Darkness", the light novels and other ****manga. There will be original characters, but don't worry, you're gonna love them.**

**I just wanna give a shout out to all my friends on CGA for supporting this story since 6 months before it was published. Without them, this story wouldn't be possible. Now, without further ado...**

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**Memory 1  
****Descent Into Darkness**

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As the sun began to set over the snow capped peak of Mount Fuji, C.C. sighed with nostalgia. For nearly seven centuries, she'd witnessed the same event take place more times than she could possibly remember. When she watched this one in particular, she had to admit that it felt somewhat different. Given her perspective, it was without a doubt one of the most beautiful sunsets that she'd ever seen.

From where the immortal girl stood, within the penthouse suite of Babel Tower, all of Tokyo and the surrounding decimated landscape glowed like a sea of fire in her golden eyes. Every viewable surface reflected the blood red color of the setting sun, giving off an otherworldly and enticing aura to all who witnessed it. It was majestic, and was well worth what she spent for the immaculate home.

From inside the penthouse, the artificial lighting prevented the illusory spectacle from affecting the furniture and walls. Rather than a deep red, the shaggy carpet and marble walls were a pristine white, accented by golden decorations. They matched her attire; a fluffy white robe stitched together with golden silk, accompanied by fluffy white slippers. The wall that separated the apartment from the outside was made of insulated glass, allowing a spectacular view for any occupants while preventing a fall from 3000 feet.

The extravagant home was awe inspiring, but if she was completely honest with herself, she didn't really care for it. Over the years, she had grown tired of waiting for something miraculous to show up in her life to give it meaning. Mundane material things, such as this home and the clothes she wore were appreciated, but they were never truly satisfying. The only two things that she wanted in life were exciting new experiences and the savory deliciousness of pizza.

She couldn't imagine a world without pizza. For as long as she could remember, nothing else could make her smile as much as a slice of pizza could. The way that the cheese melted in her mouth, coupled with the crispy crust and spice of the pepperoni, and not to mention the unique flavor of the olives; it was a delicious marriage of flavors made in heaven.

As she stood before the window while petting her long, bright green hair, the thought of her future dinner had flooded her senses, causing her stomach to growl. "What's taking them so long? I swear, it better not be cold by the time they arrive," she complained in a silky voice as she spoke to her reflection in the window. It was not a moment after the words left her mouth, however, that the doorbell finally rang.

With a quick dash across the room, almost tripping herself as she passed the coffee table, she violently opened the door. "Well it took you long enough. It's been longer than 30 minutes, so I get it for free," she complained to the delivery boy, who just stared at her in a mixture of awe and disbelief, due to her gorgeous appearance, sultry voice and less than proper demeanor.

"Ma'am, we… stopped that policy years ago. Pizza Hut doesn't sell pizzas for free anymore," he said with a shaken voice as he handed over the box and receipt. C.C. pouted, "Really now? Well, that's disappointing, but you really ought to hurry it up from now on. Pizza gets cold quickly, and I hate cold pizza."

After C.C. signed and returned the receipt, she proceeded to close the door in his face, still frozen with infatuation. As soon as she turned back towards the room, her cold mood immediately changed for the better. She quickly hopped onto the large leather couch in the center of the room before opened the box. After gently taking out a slice, which fortunately was still hot, she tossed the box onto the glass coffee table in front of her.

Just as she imagined, the first bite was intoxicating. She kicked her feet up onto the table and grabbed the TV remote with her free hand. When she turned on the massive flat screen television that stood across the room, it was already tuned to the news.

"Hello everyone, and welcome back to our daily program! Today is August 10th, 2017, and the seventh anniversary of Area 11 becoming a colony for our glorious empire. I hope you all had fun with your celebrations!" the news caster said. C.C. sighed before taking another bite. She knew that over the course of time, it doesn't matter who owns the land; they always lose it in the end.

After switching over to the weatherman to give the weekly forecast, the screen eventually returned to the news caster. "Now, on to our top story. As everyone knows, Princess Cornelia has been steadily paving her way through the Middle East since February. According to our sources, Her Highness's campaign is expected to come to an end sometime this fall, establishing Area 18 as a new colony."

As the words left the newscasters mouth, C.C. sat up in attention. She remembered that not too long ago, the emperor, Charles zi Britannia, had set his sights on the area. Since she knew the emperor on a personal level many years prior, she had a vested interest in his actions. Despite their former relationship, she considered everything he did as interesting, so she watched closely.

"Of course Her Highness has been met with resistance in every area she's conquered, but reports in the military have revealed something rather odd as of late. For more on this, we head on over to our Middle Eastern correspondent," the newscaster continued, before the screen switched over to a woman at a military base in a desert.

"That's right Bill, apparently there have been sightings of an enemy Knightmare that we've never seen before. During negotiations attempts for their surrender, led by the Prime Minister Prince Schneizel, the Middle Eastern Federation has denied any relation to this enemy unit. Whether the foreign ambassadors have told the truth or not on this matter is up to debate," she said, before the screen switched over to a video. "As you can see in this video, taken from one of our own Sutherland's Factsphere sensors as they approached Her Highness during a night raid on a compound, it appears that the lone enemy Knightmare has been targeting Her Highness directly."

As the correspondent spoke, the screen began to show Cornelia's signature horned purple Gloucester, staunchly holding its ground against the enemy, which was clearly, yet unbelievably, superior. With the limited coloration of the night vision setting, the frame was dark, possibly black, and the cockpit appeared to be either white or silver. The unknown assailant was mercilessly attacking with two large dark knives, while rapidly launching and retracting a slash harken harpoon from its chest.

From C.C.'s point of view, the fight was enticing. The enemy used a style of fighting that she'd never seen before, relentlessly attacking the enemy while expertly dodging every counterattack with blinding speed. No matter what Cornelia tried, her lance and rifle could never hit their mark.

Almost as soon as it had began, the duel was over when the reinforcements had finally arrived. Seeing as how they were outnumbered 8 to 1, the obsidian KMF quickly disappeared into the desert, blending in with the darkness of the moonless night. Had the reinforcements not shown up, it's questionable if the "Goddess of Victory" would've survived.

As the video ended, the broadcast switched to a split screen between the newscaster and the correspondent. "Well, it appears that our princess held her own! No matter what the enemy threw her way, Her Highness showed the true strength of Britannia!" the newscaster exclaimed with confidence.

"Absolutely Bill, the enemy was a coward for fleeing from the fight. Our empire's strength is truly unstoppable! All hail Britannia!" the correspondent beckoned, throwing her fist up as a salute. Once the report ended, C.C. couldn't help but scoff. If she had been the one running the news, she wouldn't have even ran the story in the first place. It was such an obvious show of weakness, yet the media still attempted to spin the story that Cornelia was stronger than she actually was compared to her potential killer.

C.C. honestly couldn't say why she bothered to watch the news anymore. They were always spreading fake propaganda, pandering to the nobility and nationalist ideals of the empire. Instead of subjecting herself to any more lies, she quickly changed the channel.

As the screen started to show Knightmares fighting each other in a competitive league of sorts, C.C. collapsed onto the couch and groaned. She tried to entertain herself as best as she could, but after living for so long, most things lost their meaning. If it wasn't pizza, it had to be something unique if it was to satisfy her; something temporary and rarely seen, like a sunset, or something brand new and fun.

Inevitably, the hands of the clock on the wall continued to turn, just as her hands went around the pie, picking off one slice at a time. Ever since she started living in Tokyo, her life had become a circle, going around and around without change. Instead of fighting the lack of meaning in her life, she had learned to accept it, rather than desperately pursue those fleeting gems of satisfaction. The effort just wasn't worth it in the end.

Even though she was incapable of doing so, she felt like she was slowly dying with every second that passed. Her ultimate wish was to die, and she knew how, but for now she was just too tired to even try. Each time she did try, she always came close, but the cost of death was far too great for her. The thought of condemning another person to a fate such as her own tore her up inside, and since she was essentially ending her own life in the process, the fear of actually dying scared her even more. After living for so long, she had become annoyingly attached to her pitiful life.

As she closed her eyes, tuning out the world around her to clear her head, her attempt at finding peace was interrupted by an ethereal woman's voice. "C.C., get up!" they exclaimed. C.C. sat up as was ordered and exhaled, before casting her gaze upon the ghostly figure of her best friend. She was standing on the other side of the table with her hands on her waist in a disapproving pose.

"It's good to see you too Marianne. I was just lying down, I'm tired...," C.C. groaned. Marianne was the favorite consort of Emperor Charles from when C.C. knew the man, and the two women had been best friends ever since the day they met. Unfortunately, Marianne wouldn't accept her response. "No C.C., I've seen you like this before. You're depressed… you should meet new people. Go attend Ashford Academy with Lelouch and Nunnally!" the ghost suggested with a small amount of glee.

C.C. shook her head. "I'm only here to spy on them. I'm not going to get to know your children personally," she said in refusal. Ashford Academy was a Britannian private school that was only a short drive away from the tower she was living in. Marianne's children, the exiled Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally, lived there on their own, completely unaware of the fact that C.C. occasionally watched over them.

Marianne crossed her arms. "Don't call it spying. You're just making sure they're okay, that's all," she said with a pout. C.C. stood up and approached the ghost. "Marianne, listen to me. I'm only looking after them because you told me to, but it's not worth it. I can't protect them from V.V…. nobody can. Just be thankful that Lelouch has been smart enough and lucky enough to hide himself and Nunnally from the world."

While she spoke, C.C. attempted to hold the ghost's shoulders, but her hands went straight through them. C.C. stared at her hands, thinking to herself that she was an idiot; she knew that she couldn't actually touch Marianne. After C.C. attempted to touch her, Marianne frowned. "I suppose you're right, he has done a good job of hiding himself and his sister, but you can still give him Geass. Give him a better chance to defend himself if they're ever found!"

As Marianne said this, C.C. glared at her. "You know what Geass can do to a person. He's your son… do really want to put him through that?" she asked with a dark and judgmental tone, but the ghost remained still. "I do know that, but it's like I said, he needs a fighting chance. If V.V.'s followers go after my children, what happens if you're not there to stop them? He can't hide himself and his sister forever you know."

To what Marianne said, C.C. understood her point. Even though C.C. was capable of giving Lelouch Geass, she couldn't go through with it. The power of Geass brings solitude, and is the first step towards allowing a person to take her immortal life. Either the Geass user went mad, lost control, or actually managed to take her Code and live forever, which in itself was a curse.

Immortality wasn't the only thing that C.C. possessed. It was an aspect of having Code, a force of nature capable of giving her immortality, along with the ability to bestow the power of Geass unto others, as well as the ability to communicate with Marianne. Code was mysterious, as unknown to her as the meaning of life itself. She received it from a woman who had it centuries prior, but as for where it originated before that, she had no clue.

Code and Geass were either gifts or curses, depending on a person's perspective. Each person she gave Geass to had a different ability, and either died because of it or lost their mind. She never wanted to see either of those fates fall upon a person because of her ever again, so she refused to bestow it upon others. "I'm not giving him Geass, Marianne. That's final," C.C. answered with a glare. With that, Marianne gave up. "Fine, be that way. All I'll say is that I appreciate the Geass that you gave me, and I haven't lost my mind at all. It saved my life."

C.C. sneered. "Yeah, now you're just a parasitic soul, sharing the body of a young girl without her consent. How is Anya by the way?" she asked, to which Marianne scowled deeply. "I am not a parasite! I mean sure, she suffers from a bit of memory loss because of me, but I've done my best to give Anya the best life possible. She's doing quite well because of me, if I do say so myself."

C.C. sighed at her friend. Marianne lost her physical body after being assassinated by V.V., and ever since then, her soul had latched onto a young girl named Anya Alstreim, who had witnessed the assassination take place. Marianne's Geass, which she had received from C.C., gave her the unique ability to turn another person's body into a host for her soul. In short, she was a spiritual parasite.

"Well it's not like I can ask you to stop, now can I?" C.C. asked rhetorically. She knew that Marianne had no control of her Geass, so she was stuck with Anya for the time being. "No, I suppose you can't. Hopefully one day I'll… C.C.? What's wrong?" Marianne asked after noticing a strange look on C.C.'s face. "I don't know. I thought I heard something outside the door."

As C.C. slowly stood up, she heard a man yell. "Breach!" they exclaimed, only a second before the solid steel front door was blown off its hinges. C.C. ducked behind the couch just in time to avoid any shrapnel from the explosion, then scoped out the area once the dust had settled. She glared at the armed men who started to fill the room, all wearing mahogany colored uniforms.

She had seen them before on the news; they were the royal guard of Prince Clovis, the Viceroy of Area 11. The city she was in, the settlement of Tokyo, was the capital city of Area 11, formerly known as Japan. At the center of Tokyo, the third imperial prince, Clovis la Britannia, sat as the viceroy of the entire former nation. Apparently, for some unknown reason, he had found her.

Once all of the guards were gathered inside with their guns drawn, the last member of the group walked in. He wore a flat cap and a short black cape over his left shoulder; an officer, from the looks of it. As his boots clanked against the metal door, he started to grin. C.C. accepted the fact that she couldn't hide, so she stood up with her back to the window.

C.C. scowled as Marianne looked in the same direction. Marianne couldn't actually perceive C.C.'s surroundings, only the immortal herself, and C.C. was the only one who could see Marianne. "C.C., say something, what's going on?" the ghost asked with great concern. "So, Clovis sent his royal guard to capture me?" C.C. said, cleverly answering Marianne while addressing the officer at the same time.

"Yes, how astute of you. His Highness is quite interested in the fact that according to intelligence, you haven't aged in centuries. To be honest, I don't believe the intel, but no matter," he said as he pulled out a small device. It was an injector of some kind, attached to a vial of fluid; if she assumed correctly, it was a highly potent sedative. "Whether or not it's true, I have orders to bring you in dead or alive, preferably the latter," he continued with a devilish grin, before gesturing for two men to grab her.

As the men grasped onto her wrists and pulled her forward, she smirked at their mistake. Through skin contact, she was able to channel the power of Code to their minds, filling them with visions of suffering and pain. They came straight from her own memories, accumulated through centuries of being alive. All of the memories where she'd been hurt or killed were concentrated into a single touch. Like every rose, she had her thorns.

As the two men doubled over in agony, C.C. continued to back away until she hit the glass window again. In the corner of her eye, she could see the city below, now a midnight-black abyss glittering with lights. In this moment, she had a terrible idea. She turned around and kicked the window as hard as she could with her bare foot. With her second kick, the men tried to approach her, but they had second thoughts after seeing their fellow guards writhing on the floor. With a third kick, the officer screamed, "Stop! What do you think you're doing?!"

The officer was clearly only concerned with his mission, not her actual survival. Seeing as how her attempts weren't working, she grabbed the gun from one of the incapacitated soldiers and shot at the window several times, finally smashing through the glass. The sudden change in air pressure pulled everyone towards the hole, and as everyone fell to the floor, Marianne watched C.C. anxiously. "C.C.! What's happening?!" she cried out, to which C.C. smiled. "I'm so glad that you care Marianne. I'll see you soon," she said, before she leapt out of the window with her arms spread like wings.

As the officer yelled in rage, her body fell through the freezing cold air into the darkness of the night. If she had any other choice of how to escape, she wouldn't have picked jumping out of the window, but it was all she had. After what felt like forever, her body hit the ground like a bullet, killing her instantly and breaking every bone she had.

As the civilians in the area screamed in horror and called for help, C.C.'s body remained lifeless and broken. Her soul, on the other hand, had passed on to the other side. After hitting the ground, C.C. opened her eyes to find herself in an empty space that was completely white. She was alone, transparent and naked. She couldn't feel anything; not her own skin, the temperature, or even gravity itself. She couldn't breathe, blink or move; she was just floating in a realm without logic.

She hated this place more than anywhere else. She wasn't sure if this was the afterlife, or just a place you go to before you cease to exist; purgatory, if her memory served her well. Either way, it made her feel trapped. It was this place that made her afraid of actual death. As she wondered how long it would take to resurrect, she pretended in her mind that she was curled up into a ball, protecting herself from the unfathomable reality she was now in.

Her plan was now in motion; all she had to do was resurrect before Clovis's troops collected her and then escape from the area. Code made her soul impervious to death, but not her physical body. If her physical form had died, she would have to wait for it to regenerate and reconnect with her soul; she compared it to a computer resetting itself after a crash. The process never made sense to her, but she had gathered that depending on how much damage was done to her, the length of time before resurrection could last hours. Given her cause of death, she wondered if she had enough time for her plan to even work.

The problem with this realm, which C.C. had learned from her time with Charles was called the "Collective's World", or "C's World" for short, was that it had no concept of space or time. It existed entirely for the soul, and it was lonely. She wasn't cold, but she wanted to feel warmth. She felt like she didn't exist if she couldn't feel her own body, and that felt demeaning. She felt weightless, but she couldn't fly.

After an unknown amount of time, C.C. began to feel something; a tugging sensation all over her transparent body. It was as if every molecule in her body was humming at the same frequency, resonating with reality. It was strange, but she knew what it meant; she was coming back to life. Her body was pulled straight and stiff, as though she was returning to the current shape of her corpse, and she prepared for what was to come.

After her eyelids were forced shut by the unnatural force, she regained control of herself, before proceeding to open her eyes as gasp for air, only to have a bright light shining directly into her regenerated eyes. She sat up on what appeared to be a flat metal table, then heard a loud commotion from behind her, followed by a startling thud.

She slowly turned around, only to see a group of five people huddled in a corner, along with a sixth one passed out on the floor. She assumed that they were all medical doctors, due to the white lab coats that they wore, stained with blood from her mangled corpse before she regenerated. She also noticed an immediate issue; she was completely naked.

"Hey you. In the middle," she growled, pointing at one of the doctors. "Y-Yes? W-what do you w-want?" he stuttered in terror; they clearly didn't expect her to fully regenerate and resurrect. Perhaps Clovis informed them about her eternal youth, but the prince wasn't aware of her ability to return from the dead upon her demise. C.C. sighed as she looked upon the group of misinformed doctors. "I want my clothes. Where are they?"

The one that she had pointed to, who had an ID badge clipped to his chest pocket that read "Dr. Joseph Fenette", stepped forward. "W-when you arrived, y-your clothes were r-ruined, s-so we discarded them… I'm truly sorry!" he answered, pleading for his life on his knees before what appeared to be an actual goddess. C.C. hummed in thought with a mischievous grin. "I see… I suppose we're going to have to play a little game then…"

After a few minutes of playing "Give your clothes to the angry immortal", C.C. dressed herself in whatever fit best, leaving all of the workers mostly naked. She noted that the backs of the lab coats read "Rosenberg Institute" in bold black lettering, which seemed odd for a morgue, which is where she assumed she had been taken. Rather than what she usually found in morgues, which she had resurrected inside of far too many times, there were medical devices that she'd never seen before.

"One of you, tell me what this place is. What is the Rosenberg Institute?" C.C. demanded, causing the doctors to cower in fear. They were all terrified past the ability to even respond, so instead of wasting her time with them, she left the room in search of clues. Once through the door, she was in a hallway. On the right end was an elevator, and on the left was a set of double doors.

Across from her was another door, but instead of having to enter, she looked into the room through a set of windows instead. On the inside, there was a metal chair with a crown-like device sitting on top, and there were multiple other devices of unknown use. With her curiosity piqued, instead of leaving through the elevator, she walked to the back room.

Once inside, she became even more confused. At the back of the room was a rack of white straight jackets, in the center was a large table, and on the side were three large metallic canisters. They were covered in gas pumps and various gauges, and were just big enough to hold an average person. It was clear by now that Clovis's forces had in fact captured her; just what she was afraid of.

They were going to experiment on her. That group of people weren't just doctors; they were scientists. Of course Clovis had wanted her immortality. The biggest question now was how he found out about it in the first place. As she pondered, Marianne's ghostly figure reappeared before her. "C.C., you're back! What happened, where are you?!"

"Marianne, I'm glad you're here…" C.C. replied, before proceeding to explain the situation to her. Marianne's face scrunched up in anger. "I can't believe that Clovis wants to experiment on you! How did he find out, that information is barely known by anyone! Did you tell anybody about it recently?!" Marianne fired off, furious at her stepson. C.C. decided it was best to escape for now; her priority was freedom.

"Marianne, I don't know anything for sure, but we'll talk later. I just have to- Gah!" C.C. exclaimed as she passed through the double doors, only to be kicked in the chest by the royal guard officer that had attacked her earlier. He had a furious look on his face, as did the rather rotund general standing next to him. "You bitch! You just had to be difficult, didn't you?!" he yelled with rage. The general pushed him out of the way, chuckling like the villain he was.

General Bartley Asprius, well known around the settlement for being Clovis's lapdog, was a cruel and spiteful man. He was infamous for treating his subordinates like cattle, frequently sacrificing their rights as citizens for efficiency. It was all for the sake of the Holy Britannian Empire, as was his excuse. "Well, at least we have you in custody now, and we've also learned that you're capable of coming back from the dead! How very interesting… I suppose the scientists can test out your ability to resurrect as well!" he said with a hearty laugh.

He turned to one of the scientists, Joseph Fenette, who had just entered with his clothes back on. "You! Don't ever let this happen again! Restrain her with the jackets, that's what they're there for!" he roared, forcing the scientist to sprint to and from the rack, now with a straight jacket in hand. As he approached C.C., the doctor shuddered in fear.

C.C. sighed in defeat. "It's okay… I give in. I won't bite," she said, before stripping herself down to put on her new wardrobe. After helping her into the jacket, the scientist nodded in thanks. She knew he would be killed for incompetence, and since there was no way out now, it wasn't worth putting a relatively innocent life at risk. He was probably a prisoner here as much as she was.

After she was strapped in, she found that it made her feel even more like herself. It reminded her of how trapped she truly was in life, doomed to exist forever in her fragile body. For some reason, it felt right to wear the jacket. One strap was placed over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. "Excellent. Now then, get to work! His Highness wants answers!" Bartley barked, before turning back towards the elevator.

Once the hallway and rooms were silent again, C.C. turned to see Joseph openly weeping. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, I didn't want to do this! I'm just a doctor! I pledged my life to help people, so that I can support my wife and daughter and make them proud! This isn't right!" he said, growing increasingly angry until he pounded the table in front of him. C.C. couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"Mmm," she hummed, attempting to communicate as best as she could with her eyes that he was forgiven. The doctor stared at her with widened eyes, then wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Oh God, I hope that you can forgive me… I'll try to make this process as easy on you as possible, I promise. For now though, I think we should get some rest, don't you think?"

With that, he called in the rest of the team, who all stood in awe of the marvel before them. All at once, one scientist opened one of the capsules; it folded open like a lotus flower, with four large petals revealing an empty space. Joseph and another scientist lifted her up and gently placed her inside, who appreciated the small kindness. "This will be where you'll stay most of the time. It's supposed to protect your body from harm, though I suppose that's not necessary, is it? Either way, we have to put you in here for now. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?" the doctor said with a smile.

Before pressing a button to close the petals, he whispered softly. "Goodnight, Code-R. Sleep well," he said, and as the light disappeared, C.C. looked up at him with sympathy. Not all Britannians had a moral compass. Once it was closed, she expected to be kept in complete darkness, but that wasn't the case. An array of warm lights automatically turned on, heating her like the sun in June. The canister started to filter itself, providing her with purified air. It was relatively comfortable, and not what she had expected.

As she tried to drift off to sleep, she was interrupted by a voice. "C.C., it's Marianne. I'm going to get you help, just you wait. Never forget that I'm on your side," she whispered, before returning the immortal to silence. She believed Marianne, so at least she knew that the cavalry was coming. Until then, she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. On the bright side, this was going to be a unique experience.


	2. Copycat Cavalry

**Memory 2**  
**Copycat Cavalry**

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On a night during a full moon, the skyscrapers of the Tokyo settlement would light up like pillars of gold on one side. It served as a beloved and beautiful spectacle for the Britannians, and even for some Elevens who didn't mind that the buildings were monuments to the loss of their home. It was a city of wealth for the conquerors, and a symbol of defeat for the conquered.

In one area of the city, the Rosenberg Institute stood tall, facing away from the grandeur of the lunar light. Across the street, a skyscraper gave view to the moon's reflection in its windows for those in the Institute's lobby, which was pristine and relatively empty compared to during the day. From this building, a young man peered from a window with a binoculars, closely watching the Institute's lobby down below.

"He's not out yet. I have a feeling that this is gonna take a while Zi," he said nonchalantly, speaking to the only other occupant in the unused office. "Well, what did you expect Oz? You know that according to intel, this guy is notorious for taking his time berating his employees. He'll be out soon, just be patient," Zi said, balancing while leaning back on a fold up metal chair, casually playing solitaire at a small table. From Oz's point of view, he seemed dangerously close to falling over, as well as losing the game.

As he continued to kneel before the sill, Oz thought back to when they first received the cryptic mission that they were currently handling. He wasn't one to complain, but it seemed off, and that was never a good sign. Their intermediary, a mysterious woman about his age who simply went by the moniker "Miss X", was given a mission by a rather shady client that withheld their identity. It was rare that Miss X would accept a mission from such a client. All she had supposedly heard was that a fellow agent had been captured a couple of days prior and was being held in the "Rosenberg Institute". They were most likely being tortured for information.

"Damn… if only these bastards knew the truth. Peace Mark just isn't organized the way they think it is… the agents are basically mercenaries with a common belief that Britannia is evil. We don't even know anything about the inner workings of our organization. Miss X might know a few things that we don't since she's an intermediary, but I'm sure it's nothing that could cripple us if it got out. The only thing that the two of us know is that Ganabati is a terrible cook, am I right?" Zi rambled off. Oz obviously wasn't listening, much to Zi's chagrin. "Right," Oz replied.

Zi frowned at his partner's deadpan response, but chose not to react. He pulled a stick of gum out of his military vest's pocket that covered his purple tunic. As soon as he threw it in his mouth, Oz exclaimed, "There he is!" enthusiastically.

All at once, Zi fell over, hit his head on the floor, kicked the table, sent the playing cards flying, and started to choke on his gum. Oz continued to stare through the binoculars with anticipation, oblivious to the fact that his friend was dying. "Alright, he's taking his time talking with the guards. As soon as he's gone, I need you to watch my back. Can you do that buddy? Hey, I asked if you could… Zi!"

Not a moment too late, Oz leapt to his friend and slapped Zi's back as hard as he could, dislodging the gum and launching it out of his throat. Zi stared up in annoyance and coughed. "Well, that was fast! Seriously Oz, good job watching out for your partner!" he yelled in an overtly sarcastic tone.

Oz attempted to keep a straight face, but a small chuckle escaped him, to which Zi snarled. "Yeah, I almost died, very funny Oz... Just go check on the big guy again, will ya?" he groaned with an exhausted tone. Oz quickly returned to the window with the binoculars and looked; General Bartley had in fact left the building. "Okay, now it's my turn," Oz murmured with a serious glare.

Once Oz stood back from the window, Zi fixed his triangle shaped glasses as he watched something that he still couldn't believe. After Oz's left eye glowed red with a symbol shaped like a bird, a miraculous event occurred. Within a split second, Oz, along with his blonde hair, steel pauldrons, and white and dark grey tunic, had completely transformed into General Bartley. It was a sight to see; a 17-year-old boy transforming into a 300-pound man in his late fifties.

"I'll never get over you doing that… Seriously, how do you do that? You look exactly like him!" Zi said as he put his hands up in awe of the illusion. Oz, now as Bartley, not only looked like him, but could act and sound like him as well. "Shut up! I have to get to the target! I only have about five minutes before this wears off!"

As he said, he only ever had about five minutes to use the ability. If he used it twice in a row, he'd have to wait about an hour until he could use it again. It was an annoying setback at times, but he appreciated that the transformation wasn't permanent. If he was stuck looking like General Bartley Asprius forever, he'd be pissed.

Zi pointed to the door and gestures to it with a nod. "Then what are you waiting for? You're on the clock! Chop chop!" he ordered as he proceeded to clap his hands in a hurried fashion. Oz, or "Bartley" as he was now, did as he was told, but on his own terms. Since Zi was a few years older, he always acted like he was his superior. Since Oz was so much more capable on the field, however, it was clear to both whom the true superior was in their partnership.

After slowly taking the elevator down to the lobby and crossing the street, passing by several citizens along the way who all gave him a patriotic salute, he finally entered the Institute. "Ah, General, you came back!" a stationed guard exclaimed as the large imposter came forward. "What of it?! Get back to your post, Soldier!" Oz replied in a hateful tone.

"Yes, my lord!" the guard nervously exclaimed before returning to their lookout for terrorists. The fool couldn't even tell that there was one standing right in front of him, but as far as Oz was concerned, a Britannian guard for a secret torture facility didn't deserve his pity. Oz would've blown up the building after extraction, but unfortunately that wasn't allowed on the mission, for what reason was not made clear in the briefing.

Now that the coast was clear, Oz spotted the elevator. According to their recon over the past 24 hours, it was the only elevator among several that the General made use of. He made his way over to it and looked down at the panel inside. It showed all kinds of numbers representing each floor, reaching all the way up to 37. The facility was primarily used for medical testing and treatment, but that was just a cover for the shadier ordeals.

Now was the question; he had to figure out which floor was the captive being kept on. He had no way of bypassing the security system that checked for vocal recognition; his illusion only affected people, not electronics. He was aware that the cameras could pick up on him, but he didn't need that much time before security caught on. As the general, he could probably request anyone within the area to do anything, without question. Just as he needed some help, he caught a familiar face from when they did recon.

"Hey, you! Get over here!" Oz yelled with a deep growl, catching the attention of the scientist. He was noted as a potential torturer, since he also used the General's elevator exclusively every day. "General Bartley! You're back so soon! Is there something you need?" he asked cautiously.

Oz stifled a laugh; it was just too easy. "Of course there's something I need! The damn system isn't working! Get me access to the project now!" he yelled, causing the scientist to cower. Oz took note of his ID badge: "Dr. Joseph Fenette". Joseph quickly entered the lift and swiped the screen down, revealing a hidden handprint scanner. He leaned over and said his name, causing the elevator to ascend.

Of course, there was elevator music. Even on the way to a secret, evil torture lair, the elevator had to have music. After going up for about a minute, the door opened to reveal a hallway. "Are you here to see the subject? Code-R is currently in testing for neural activity, but you already knew that though."

"Testing for neural activity? Code-R?" Oz asked aloud. This was new information; it was unusual to give such a strange codename to a prisoner. Testing for brain activity wasn't a standard form of torture either, or even torture at all for that matter. It was here that Oz realized that his suspicions were correct; something was off.

Joseph tilted his head in confusion. "Well, yes sir, that's the codename of the subject. Do you… not remember?" he asked, immediately regretting asking the question. "Are you questioning my memory Fenette?! Just give me a private audience with the captive!" Oz demanded, grabbing the scientist by his lapels.

"Uh, yes, of course! Right this way!" he said with a slightly high pitched voice. He led the rotund imposter to the room on the right, and as he opened the door, the sight was not as Oz expected. Two scientists were standing around a girl about his age; his real age, that is. She was barely conscious, sitting in a chair and leaning over with heavy lidded eyes. One scientist held a tablet and stylus, while the other sat at a computer. On it were multiple application windows, all showing information that he couldn't understand.

"Oh! General Bartley and Doctor Fenette! Is there something you need?" one scientist asked. Joseph stepped forward and said, "The general has requested to speak to Code-R. Privately," with a serious tone. The two scientists looked to each other, then started to move.

As Oz waited, one of the scientists unhooked the equipment and followed the rest out of the room. Once he was alone with the captive, Oz locked the door and turned towards Code-R. "Alright, I'm here to get you out. My name is Oz, and I'm an agent of Peace Mark. I'm not actually General Bartley, I'm just in disguise," he said, quickly unstrapping the girl from her bondage. "Hah… so Marianne… sent a… teenage boy…"

As her words exited her mouth, Oz froze. He assumed that his ability wore off, but as he looked at his hand, he saw that he still looked like Bartley. If that was the case, there was no way she could guess that he was a teenager. The only possibility is that she heard of him from within the organization, but the chances of that were slim.

"Can you… see past my disguise? Also, who's Marianne?" he asked as he lifted her up in a princess carry. She appeared frail and fragile, as if the experiments done on her were much worse than just being tested in a chair. "The power… of Geass… doesn't… affect me… boy…" she weakly answered with a smirk. "If you're… the cavalry… then get me… out of here… I've grown tired… of the experiments…"

Oz's eyes widened. "Geass?! How do you know about that?! Damnit, we're going to talk about this later! In the meantime, we're getting out of here. Just you wait until I get you to Ganabati's truck, we'll take you far away from here and then you'll tell me everything you know!" he said in the gruff voice of the general. At least, that's the tone of voice that he heard, but the same couldn't be said for what "Code-R" heard. Somehow, she knew the truth.

"My name is… C.C., by the way…" she revealed in a whisper, to which Oz smiled lightly. "It's nice to meet you, Agent C.C.," he replied, eliciting a small laugh from the girl, though he couldn't understand why she would. After unlocking and leaving the room, the three scientists moved aside in the hallway and watched as the general, infamous for his angry demeanor, carried the captive girl like a princess.

"Fenette! I'm taking her to a new facility!" he bellowed with great authority. Joseph's eyes widened in disbelief of his orders, due to the fact that there was no reason for transfer, but he knew better than to question orders by now. "Very well sir! I'll lead the way!"

As the two men and one girl boarded the lift, Oz continued to ponder what he had heard. Geass; it was the name of his ability. He had been given the power when he was a young boy many years ago, and it had been a gift and a curse ever since. If this girl could see through it, then he definitely had a few questions for her. He had only ever known one other person who could see past it; the person that gave the power to him in the first place. His name was V.V., and he was the archenemy of Peace Mark. The fact that her name was so similar to his must've meant that there was a connection.

"Sir… if I may be so bold…" Joseph said, shaking as he stood at the door. "You're not actually General Bartley, are you?" he whispered. Oz began to sweat. "W-what do you mean?! Of course I am!" he exclaimed, to which C.C. tugged on his arm. "Don't worry… he's a friend… right, Joseph?" she said quietly. At that, Joseph held her hand. "That's right. C.C. has been saying that 'the cavalry's coming' since she came here, but I never expected it to be… well, you."

As the lift neared the lobby, he quickly handed Oz a flash drive. "Here, take this. It's a copy of all of our orders and research… I prepared it in the event that she was rescued. Perhaps it can assist you in some way in the future," he said, as if he was pleading for him to do something with it. Oz took it and held it tightly in his hand. "Thank you. I'm sure it'll help somehow," Oz answered with an unsightly grin. Joseph shuddered, but quickly calmed down with a sigh. "I'm just glad this is over… I did the right thing, right C.C.?" Joseph asked, to which C.C. nodded. "Yes… thank you… Joseph… and for… actually using… my name…"

After the short ride, the elevator dinged as it reached the lobby. Oz's com link sparked to life, just as the doors began to open. "Oz, you have to get out, now! Shit, he came back!" Zi screamed, but it was too late. Standing before them was none other than the real General Bartley. "Oh… you've got to be kidding…" C.C. gently murmured. The two Bartleys stared at one another, one of whom was much more confused than the other.

"Who… the hell… are you?! Guards, arrest this imposter at once! Fenette, you better explain this later!" the real Bartley yelled at the top of his lungs. Before the guards could show up, Oz sprinted towards the entrance with C.C. in his arms. "Orpheus… put me… down…" C.C. muttered, "You won't… make it…"

"No! I'm not leaving you! I need answers! Who are you?! Wait… that name… how do you know that name?!" he yelled, just as his body reverted to normal. Everyone around them gasped at his transformation, but the guards wouldn't stop. C.C. smirked, then with all of her remaining strength, she pushed herself from his arms and fell to the marble floor. "No! C.C.!" Oz screamed, but realized that any chance of escaping with her now was lost.

"Go… I'll be fine… go!" C.C. mustered the ability to yell out. Oz gritted his teeth, then ran as fast as he could, now unencumbered by C.C., occasionally pushing civilians and staff members out of the way. He knew better than to try and save her now. The mission was a failure, and retreat was his only option.

Once outside, Oz sprinted down the sidewalk and turned into a dark alleyway. He could hear the guards chasing after him, firing off the occasional gunshot when they thought they had him in their sights. As the guards turned into the alleyway, however, all they found was a homeless man lying on a piece of cardboard.

"Didn't you guys see him go this way?! Where is he?!" one of the guards yelled to the others, to which they all shook their heads. Little did they know that Oz was hiding in plain sight. The homeless man smirked under his battered jacket for a moment, then quickly returned to a frown. He had a chance at knowing what his ability really was, and he blew it. Not only that, but the girl knew his real name; she knew who he really was.

As soon as the guards ran off, he sat up and answered his com. "Are you kidding me Zi?! Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" he yelled in the raspy voice of a homeless man. "I did try to say something, but the connection cut out as soon as you went inside the elevator! We didn't account for there to be a dead zone leading up to and around the torture room. I'm sorry man, but it's really not my fault."

Oz pounded his fist on the cardboard he was sitting on. "It wasn't a torture room Zi. The person they captured… I don't think they're an actual agent. They were doing experiments on her for some reason, and she knows something about my ability, and my true identity! I had a feeling this mission was more complicated then we originally thought when the client was so shady," Oz complained as he pulled in his knees, trying to keep warm in the night.

"Well, I guess that's it then. I'm sure another team could handle this mission, but for now, it's a failure. I'm sorry man, it sounds like this was important to you," Zi said with a sympathetic tone. Oz stood up, filled with commitment and resolve. "You're wrong Zi. This mission has only just begun. I'm going to free C.C., one way or another."

The com went quiet for a moment, before Oz heard a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I figured you'd say that. The only question is, do we have a plan?" Zi asked, clearly not looking forward to future events. Oz scowled as he looked up at the moon, illuminating the civilians along the sidewalks and the modern vehicles cruising down the road. "No, not yet, but we have to think of something. Head over to Ganabati, it's late and I'm tired, so we should get some rest for tomorrow. Over and out," Oz replied.

Before Zi could respond, Oz took off his earpiece and put it in his pocket, along with the flash drive given by Joseph. He may have been able to change how he looks in the minds of others and himself, but he didn't actually transform; it was all an illusion. He always found it weird to put things in a pocket that wasn't visible because of his Geass. He got up and started walking away from the Institute, ignoring the dirty looks from the Britannian citizens that walked past him. They were truly despicable, looking down upon the less fortunate so easily.

The constant glares made the walk seem longer than it actually was, but not too long after, he finally reached his home: Ganabati's military transport truck. It was massive, big enough to store at least three Knightmares. It was currently carrying just one, his personal red Glasgow, and the rest of the truck posed as a living room for the three of them.

He knocked on the door a few times in a specific secret pattern, signaling that it was him. The door quickly opened, revealing a sturdy man of Indian descent. He wore a bright orange vest and a white turban on his head, and had a large black beard concealing his frown. "Well well, I heard from Zi. Too bad about what happened, but I believe that you can do it if you keep trying. I didn't haul this truck all the way out to Japan for nothing!"

Oz smirked, appreciative of the sturdy man's commitment to the cause, as well as everyone else in the organization that helped to secretly transport the vehicle across the Pacific from their previous home in California. Ganabati was a good guy, and was damn good at fixing up just about anything; except food, that is. "Yeah, I hear you. I'll work on it tomorrow though… right now, I'm exhausted," Oz groaned as he stepped inside.

He hopped into the back of the truck, only to find Zi sitting down against the wall. "I'm sorry Oz. I really wish I could've done more," he spoke softly. Oz walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "You did fine Zi. Like you said, it wasn't your fault. We'll get her next time," he reassured his partner.

Without a reply, Oz sat down with a laptop they owned and plugged in the flash drive. If anything was going to help them, it was this. After perusing for a minute, he came across an interesting file. It showed pictures of C.C. being placed in a containment chamber of some kind, and below it were several paragraphs, explaining the functions of how it worked. It also listed a schedule for when C.C. would be contained.

At the end, a link was posted that read "Protocol Omega". After clicking on it, it showed a paragraph, this time in bold lettering. It read, "In the event of the subject's escape, the containment capsule must not be revealed for what it is to anyone outside of the research team or His Highness's personal guard. Instead, the containment chamber is to be referred to as-"

"Poison gas. Huh," Zi suddenly said right behind Oz's ear, who proceeded to jump out of his skin. "What the hell?! Zi, go to bed!" he whispered in an angered expression, making absolutely sure not to wake the sleeping Ganabati. Zi snickered, then sauntered back to his bed.

As Oz continued to read, he came across the page listing what the scientists had learned from the research. It read, "After bringing the subject back to the lab, we were surprised to find that she had not actually died from the fall. She had regenerated and came back to life after being dead for over an hour. We've concluded that Code-R is not only ageless, but incapable of death entirely."

Orpheus's eyes widened. This couldn't possibly be true; immortality was impossible. He closed the laptop and set it aside. Now that his research was concluded, Oz found his own sleeping bag next to the Glasgow and tried to sleep. After an hour went by, however, he couldn't stop thinking. He couldn't go in to the Institute himself, and he couldn't depend on Zi to go in to do the mission either. Since the Institute was probably on high alert for the foreseeable future, he and Zi were going to need a lot more help.

Oz couldn't rely on fellow operatives, so he needed an unorthodox source of assistance. He considered the Japanese Liberation Front, which was the main rebel force in Japan, but he knew that they wouldn't help. He would have to gain the trust of their top command and convince them to risk their lives for a person they knew nothing about. It was an idea he just couldn't pursue.

As he laid there thinking, it came to him. Japan's rebels weren't all part of the JLF; there were smaller factions, some more willing and ready to fight Britannia at every opportunity they had. If saving a damsel in distress wasn't enough for them, he didn't know what was. Now all he had to do was go into the ghettos and find a group that was willing enough to believe him.

With a plan in mind, he slept with ease, and just like usual, he woke up in the morning to pots and pans being slammed together, echoing through the vehicle. It was Ganabati's trademark way of saying "Wake up, get out and get to work". After Oz and Zi exited the vehicle, they both groaned as they saw the wide grin on the truck owner's face.

As Zi began to stretch his arms, Oz spoke. "So, I've got an idea. We're gonna head out to the nearby ghetto to recruit the Japanese," he said with an intonation of pride. Zi didn't react; instead, he continued to stretch. "Good idea pal… or how about we just shoot each other in the head? Same result at a fraction of the effort!" he suggested, mocking his partner's decision.

Oz sighed as he held his forehead in his hand. "I'm serious Zi, it's the best idea we have. We need help, because we can't do this alone. Now how else will we find the manpower to save C.C.?" he asked, to which Zi shrugged, making it clear that he didn't know. Without further protest on Zi's part, Oz started walking while Zi followed. They received strange looks from the Britannians due to their choice of clothing, but it didn't matter to them. Zi wore a style of clothing native to China, which was his home country. Oz wore the garments of the Hungarian village that was once his home. He the traditional clothes to remember what had happened, and the people that once lived there.

While they walked, the sun was still low in the sky, hidden by the buildings around them, but it was still bright due to all of the reflective surfaces. The bustling of the streets was loud and obnoxious. They passed by multiple storefronts, all selling meaningless junk to the average Britannian consumer. There were students walking around aimlessly, enjoying a Sunday off from school, completely unaware of the darkness of the world around them.

As he stared at all of the happy faces, he suddenly heard something out of place; screaming. "Zi, do you hear that?" Oz asked. Zi shook his head, still tired from the night before. Oz grabbed his tunic and started pulling him towards the source of the yelling. They passed by a long alleyway, just wide enough for a car to pass through, and deep inside was a group of Britannians, all kicking a Japanese man who was crawling on the ground.

"You filthy, worthless piece of shit! This is our land now, you should be fucking dead!" the leader of the group yelled, clearly intoxicated, shoving the tip of his boot into the man's stomach. The man cried out in pain, desperately clawing for help. It was atrocious that the civilians of the city were relatively aware of this violence, and yet they did nothing, either for their own safety, or were too distracted to even care. Oz wasn't going to stand for this. He began to activate his Geass to become a policeman to chase them away, but Zi grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. Look."

Zi pointed down the alley, not at the gang, or the victim, but at a man at the other end. "What? Who's that?" Oz asked aloud, squinting to see the man's face. Just as he did so, one of the gang members also took notice of the stranger, and of the two of them as well. "Hey boss! We've got an audience!" he exclaimed drunkenly.

"Oh yeah? Well get them out of here! Shows over!" the leader yelled, before planting his foot on the man's face, throwing his empty liquor bottle on the ground. Seeing him stomp on the poor man's face was the last straw. "Oh, the shows just started, asshole! Zi, get the guy on the left!" Oz roared, before sprinting full speed at the man on the right. While the leader continued beating the victim, the fourth and final member went the other way towards the stranger.

The first gangster threw a punch, but Zi simply stepped aside. With excellent form, he thrust his palm upwards into the chin of the assailant, throwing him across the alley and onto the ground. Zi then proceeded to drive his heel into his crotch, eliciting a high-pitched squeal. "Yeah, squeal like the pig you are," Zi said with a smirk, before kicking him in the side of the head with full force, knocking the gangster out instantly.

Meanwhile, Oz was the first to attack his foe. He wound up for a punch, causing the man to block, but he instead swept his leg. As the man fell forward, Oz drove his knee straight into his nose with a loud crack. Once the gangster hit the ground, also knocked out cold, the two agents looked at each other with approval, but that wasn't the end.

The sight ahead of them blew their minds. The stranger was punching and kicking with such power and speed that they were sure the gangster was half broken, even while he remained standing. With a final punch to the gut, the man fell to his knees, only to receive a full-weighted knockout punch to the face.

As soon as the fight began, it was over. The leader of the gang stopped kicking, now looking back and forth at his downed friends. "What the fuck?! You bastards, look what you did!" he screamed, tripping over his own feet in fear. Oz and Zi merely stood by as the stranger slowly approached the man.

Without a single word, the stranger lifted the gangster up by his jacket lapel and started pummeling his face into a bloody mess. Oz was frozen in awe as the gangster was so quickly destroyed by a single fist within seconds. Zi, on the other hand, looked away from the brutality. After the pummeling had ceased, the gangster fell to the ground with his face lying in an expanding pool of blood.

"Shinjimae," the stranger said, and with that one word, Oz's eyes lit up; only a Japanese person would say that. He didn't understand Japanese in the slightest, but he could guess that it wasn't meant with kindness due to his dark and menacing tone. "That was… amazing. Who are you?" Oz asked the man.

The stranger picked up his head before brushing away his maroon colored hair from his face. His gray eyes were cold as ice, unfazed by the fact that he just nearly killed a man in broad daylight. He looked the two oddly dressed young men up and down, probably trying to decide if they were friendly. He stepped forward into clear view, and said, "My name is Naoto Kozuki. Who are you?"


	3. Flint And Steel

**Memory 3  
****Flint And Steel**

* * *

Inside the alleyway, the wind that was channeled between the two buildings was chilling to the bone. When coupled with the shadows cast on the walls around them, it gave Naoto Kozuki an intimidating appearance. He wore a black shirt and jeans, along with a blood red coat jacket, black fingerless gloves and a red headband.

Oz could feel the intensity of his aura, and the light of his newly lit cigarette took him aback, reflecting in his steel gray eyes like a dragon. The two agents were speechless. As they all stared each other down, the beaten and bruised Japanese man that they had rescued scurried away like a mouse.

After taking a long drag from his cigarette, Naoto sighed a plume of smoke. "Well? Are you gonna tell me who you are or not?" he asked with a slightly annoyed tone. Before Oz could open his mouth, Zi grabbed his partner's shoulder and spun him around. "Oz, we can't tell him anything! We have no idea who this guy is!" he argued quietly.

"Come on, we have to give him a chance. We won't tell him everything just yet, you can trust me on this," Oz replied in a whisper, before turning back around to face Naoto. "My name is Oz, and this is Zi. We're glad that you showed up to help," he said as he gestured for a handshake, to which Naoto obliged.

"Likewise. Now, I have a hunch that you two aren't from around here due to your clothes, and you sympathize with the weak, so tell me… what's your story?" he asked with a curious gaze. Zi sighed while Oz stifled a laugh. "Alright, you're pretty sharp… we're here for a reason. My partner here is a little apprehensive, but I have a pretty good feeling about you. You're Japanese, right?" Oz asked, choosing to be a little more up front about the issue at hand, much to Zi's discomfort.

Naoto nodded his head. "Last I checked, but technically I'm only half Japanese. What, did the name give it away?" he replied with a tone of sarcasm. Oz shrugged. "Well there's that, and the fact that you saved an honorary Britannian from a pack of drunken thugs. No citizen of Britannia would ever think of doing that," he replied with a smirk, referring to the Japanese man who had fled the scene. Naoto took a quick drag. "Yeah, that too."

"Then why did you do it? You know that the Britannians would execute you over something like this, probably with an accusation of terrorism," Zi interjected, not fazing Naoto in the slightest. "Why? I did it because it's my responsibility to protect the weak… wouldn't you say the same? Besides, we're in the middle of a dark alley, so everyone is too busy or distracted to notice us beat the crap out of a few thugs," Naoto said as he gestured to the four men lying at their feet, all unconscious due to their injuries.

He was right about not getting noticed, as Britannians were notorious for looking the other way if something wasn't their problem. It was either kill or be killed underneath the powerful and decadent culture of Britannia, and there was very little room for charity. For that reason alone, they had the responsibility to fight back. "Yeah, we agree, and that's why we're here. Actually, we want to ask for your help," Oz said with a serious tone.

Naoto raised his eyebrow. "My help? With what exactly?" he asked through the corner of his mouth as he held the cigarette with his lips. Zi began to get antsy; he clearly wasn't okay with this at all. "Oz, we need to talk. Now," he demanded sternly, clearly not taking no for an answer.

"Zi, what's up?" Oz whispered as he approached. "I'll tell you what's up! We can't tell him the truth! First off, nobody would try to help us with a rescue mission. It has to actually mean something to him. Let me handle this one," Zi said, before pushing Oz aside. Naoto was now glaring at them with suspicion.

"We have reason to believe that Britannia is developing poison gas to use on the ghettos," Zi said in his most convincing voice possible, pulling from what they found on the flash drive given by Joseph. Almost immediately, Naoto replied. "Bullshit. Tell me the truth. I won't help you if you lie to me," he growled, causing Zi to sigh. "See Oz? He's not gonna listen!" Zi whispered as he turned to his partner.

Oz wasn't going to give up on Naoto; if telling the whole truth to a stranger meant saving C.C., he was willing to risk it. He pushed past Zi, stood firm and stared directly into Naoto's fiery eyes. "The truth… is that Britannia is doing experiments on someone important to us. General Bartley, of Clovis's personal military, is overseeing the operation himself, so whatever these experiments are, it's extremely important to Clovis. We tried to free her once, but we failed. Please, you have to help us stop them."

As Oz spoke, Naoto's eyes slowly widened, and by the time he finished speaking, his cigarette fell from his lips to the ground. "Well, shit… you're actually telling the truth," he nearly whispered as the smoke billowed from his mouth. Zi, on the other hand, buried his face in his hand. "You actually believe this over what I said?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. It was true; a weapon of mass destruction seemed way more aligned with Britannian doctrine than human experimentation.

Naoto stepped forward and looked directly into Oz's eyes, checking for something that only he could see. "Prince Clovis wants something from her, something important enough to hide from the emperor himself. We're desperate for any help we can get," Oz explained, maintaining eye contact the whole time.

After a few moments, Naoto put on a face that meant business. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a phone and dialed a number. Within seconds, it picked up. "Ohgi, it's me. Something big just came up. Yeah, prepare a meeting for us at headquarters," he answered quickly before hanging up. As soon as the phone returned to his pocket, Naoto started running for the other side of the alleyway, gesturing for the duo to tag along, which they did.

"Where are we going?!" Zi called out to Naoto, ignoring the stares from the civilians along the sidewalk. After running a short distance, Naoto stopped at a black cargo van parked along the curb. "One of you get in the passenger seat, and the other can get in the back. We're gonna go see some friends of mine," he said with a smirk. Without question, Oz got in the passenger seat, while Zi opened up the back door and hopped inside.

As he closed the door, Oz's eyes widened with disbelief. He never expected to find help so quickly, and from a person as confident, charismatic and capable as Naoto no less. Hopefully it wasn't all too good to be true. "Listen Oz, I trust you, so I'm going to be up front. I'm the leader of a resistance group stationed in the Shinjuku ghetto. I think that if all of us work together, we can free this person. Tell me, what else do I need to know?" Naoto asked as he started up the truck and started driving.

As Naoto said those last words, Oz froze. From what he could tell so far with Zi's lie about the poison gas, this man had the uncanny ability to see through lies. "We should probably discuss the details with your group. There's a few things that I can't tell you, but I think it's best that you don't know the whole truth," he said, choosing to withhold the information about Geass. Knowing that it even exists isn't good for anyone; that's why he never even told Zi about it. Fortunately, Naoto nodded in agreement. "I understand. Thanks for the honesty," he said as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Of course. Now, if you don't mind, I have a few questions myself. For one, why do you trust us so easily? You also saw right past Zi's lie… sorry about that by the way," Oz asked, causing Naoto to laugh a little. "Straight to the point, huh? I like that, and there's no need to apologize. As far as my lie detection skill is concerned, I guess you could call it necessity. In my line of work, it pays to know whom you can and can't trust at first glance. I've honed my ability to tell if someone's lying to me… with enough practice, it can be easy to pick up on certain micro expressions that people make when they lie. It helps clear misunderstandings to see past people's bullshit," he answered as he turned around a corner.

Oz was impressed. He couldn't comprehend just how efficient Naoto's ability was, but it certainly sounded like it was worth having. "Well then, I suppose I shouldn't lie to you. As for another question I have, what were you doing in this area of the city all by yourself?"

Naoto sighed as they stopped at a light. "If you want to know why, just look in the back," Naoto answered, before sliding open a small window on the divider behind the two of them. When Oz looked inside, he saw two things: crates upon crates of food and other necessities, and a very disgruntled Zi sitting all by himself.

"So I'm guessing you gather supplies to share with the other Japanese?" Oz assumed, to which Naoto nodded in affirmation. "Good guess. The people of the ghettos would never survive if I didn't retrieve supplies for them. I was actually supposed to receive a package from that guy who got beaten up. As for why I'm alone, it's because I'm the only one who looks like a Britannian, so I don't draw too much suspicion," Naoto answered. "That's right, you did say that you're only half Japanese, so I guess the other half is Britannian," Oz replied while he stared out of the window.

"Precisely. Well, what about you? Where are you and Zi from?" Naoto asked as the light turned green. Oz looked forward and sighed. "Zi, as you could probably tell from his appearance, is from the Chinese Federation. As for me… it's a long story," he said, gradually lowering his voice to a whisper. Naoto pursed his lips in thought. "I get it. When someone says 'it's a long story', it usually means that they'd rather not answer. I gotta say though, I wish you'd tell me. My friends aren't as trusting as I am, but you can trust us."

As Naoto continued down the road before merging onto an empty highway, Oz sighed. "Listen, Zi doesn't even know where I'm from, and I've known him for over two years. We've been through a lot of tough shit together, but I'll never tell him the truth, and he knows that," he said with a grim tone. In truth, he was just ashamed of his origin, and cautious as to how his story could be used against him.

"Well, how about your name? You can at least tell me your real name," Naoto said with a straight face. Sure enough, he was right; Oz wasn't his real name. "You're right, Oz is just my initials. My real name is Orpheus, though I prefer to go by Oz… I'd like to keep my last name to myself," Oz said, eliciting a respectful nod from Naoto.

After remaining silent for a few miles, they reached an exit off of the side of the highway. It appeared to be an abandoned and unstable concrete tunnel, leading into the heart of the Shinjuku Ghetto. Naoto pulled in, plunging the vehicle into darkness. The headlights automatically brightened, revealing the dusty, crumbling ruins of what used to be. He expertly drove around a massive pothole, which easily could've consumed the van.

After navigating the underground system, they quickly arrived at an exit. Inside the Shinjuku Ghetto, everything was in shambles. The war torn cityscape was gray, found in the concrete skeletons of the dilapidated buildings and on the decimated streets that they traveled along. Occasionally, Oz could see a homeless person searching through the scraps. They looked towards the van with lifeless stares, as if they were already dead. For all Oz could know, within the next year, there was a high chance that they would be.

"Damn Britannians… they could save so many people if they just decided to help us get by, but no, 'the strong must devour the weak'. How barbaric…" Naoto deeply growled as he clenched the steering wheel. Oz had no idea what this man had been through, but he assumed that it was akin to a nightmare, which he could certainly empathize with. He imagined how this area looked during the winter, cold and bleak. He wondered how many people froze to death because they didn't have a home or an effective source of heat. Everything he saw was reason enough to feel immense rage towards those who could've helped but did nothing.

After a minute or so of traversing the broken streets, passing by the occasional group of dying Japanese, they came upon a rather unique building; it was a high school, or at least it used to be. Once Naoto pulled up with the van, a small group of men and women ran out of the building to the back door. After opening it, they immediately pulled out their guns. "Boss?! You've got a hitchhiker! Get out here you bastard, no sudden moves!" one member roared. He had spiky brown hair and a dangerous demeanor.

"Tamaki, it's fine. He's a new friend," Naoto answered as he got out and approached the group, all of whom started to salute him. "Hey Nagata, can you take these two to Ohgi? As for you Oz, I want you to explain everything to him, and I mean everything. If he thinks something isn't important, he'll keep it secret for you. You can trust him."

With a calm expression, Oz nodded as Zi hopped out of the van. The resistance group gave them looks of distrust and confusion, but ultimately let them pass. Naoto clearly wasn't just a leader; he was an unquestioned commander. The man known Nagata, who had long black hair like Zi, albeit with a serious glare opposed to the calm demeanor of his partner, led them into the building with his gun still in hand.

"I won't ask you two any questions yet myself, but I'll say this for now… you don't mess with Ohgi, and we won't have a problem. Got it?" he said with an eagle-eyed stare. The pair nodded in assurance, slightly intimidated by his eyes. With that said, the group walked over to a nearby room that still had a relatively intact doorway; the principal's office. Once they entered, they came face to face with a tall man with dark brown hair.

"Ohgi, these two came with the boss. He said that you should listen to what they have to say," Nagata relayed the message, to which Ohgi gestured for him to leave. "Thanks Nagata, I'll take it from here," he said with a disarming smile. After Nagata shut the door, the room went silent. Ohgi sat back down at the desk, which was covered in reports and military facility layouts.

"So, I assume that you two are what Naoto referred to as 'something big'. Since he seems to trust you, I'll trust you... for now. Tell me, why are you here?" Ohgi said with a stern look; it seemed callous, but Oz figured that he was just focused. He gestured for the two to sit down in the two chairs between them, and they obliged.

After they sat down, Oz reported on everything he told Naoto and more: C.C. being their target, Bartley intervening, Joseph's help, the poison gas contingency plan laid out on the flash drive, and the layout of the building itself. He kept the information about his and Zi's employer to himself, along with the connection to Geass. He had to keep some things secret of course, no matter how trustworthy Naoto said they were.

After finishing the report, Ohgi linked his hands together and rested his mouth on his knuckles. He remained silent for a few moments in deep thought. "This is serious. Naoto was absolutely right to get us involved. You have my support as well, but I don't know if this will convince the others," he said with a deep sigh. Before Zi could interject, Ohgi scowled and spoke again. "Perhaps… there might be a chance, but it's risky. I'm going to propose your issue, but it's not going to be for a rescue. We're going to go after this as if it's actually poison gas."

Zi suddenly had a smug look on his face. "See? I told ya it's more believable. I'm on board with that, are you?" he asked as he pointed at Oz. "Yeah, sure, I'm on board. I just hope that the rest of your group will believe it," Oz answered as he looked back to Ohgi. The tall resistance fighter grinned as he replied, "Don't worry about it. If Naoto and I agree on something, all of the other higher ups are bound to agree as well. I'd go so far as to say that this operation is official!"

As he said that, the agents grinned with success. Afterwards, they all joined together in the auditorium with the main group: Naoto, Ohgi, Tamaki, Nagata, and a few others by the names of Yoshida, Sugiyama, Inoue and Minami, all of whom were wearing pretty casual clothing, though their apparel was a unkempt.

Oz explained the details of the operation, along the lines of securing poison gas, and like Ohgi said, as soon as their two founding members agreed to take action, everyone else followed suit. As the group disbanded from the room, Ohgi approached Naoto and spoke with him, too quiet for Oz to hear. Naoto then approached the two with a grim expression.

"So, Ohgi just told me about the reason for changing the mission. I don't usually approve of lying to my crew, but I know that sometimes it's necessary. From what you revealed, this is going to be difficult, but it's not going to deter us from actually doing something. As long as we stick to the schedule your flash drive gave for when she's contained in the canister, the rest of the resistance will never have to know the truth. Ohgi made a good call to lie to them… they never would've agreed to help with a rescue operation, but I'm sure that this is worth lying over," Naoto said, low enough to dodge the ears of the others.

Zi hummed with approval at the way things were going. "Right on. So, should we get to work?" he asked with a grin. Naoto shook his head. "I think that Ohgi and myself have to discuss some things first. In the meantime, you can help around a bit, maybe even get to know the other members," he said with a devilish grin. Zi was about to complain, but Oz kicked him in the shin before he could. "We'd love to help! Right, Zi?"

"Right… ow…" Zi muttered with a forced grin. Naoto laughed. "I told you before, I know when you're lying. Believe me, if you try to help around, it'll be good for building trust with the rest of the gang. Trust is important in a world such as ours. How about you go help Nagata hand out the supplies to the homeless? Oh, and one more thing…" Naoto said with a grin as he placed his hands on the shoulders of the two young men, "Welcome to the resistance."

* * *

As Oz and Zi sauntered off to interact with the others, Naoto sighed. He took out and lit a cigarette, cursing his addiction to hell. He trusted these two strangers enough to hear them out and agree to help them with their cause, but the truth was that his trust ended there. Oz was too shady; he wouldn't reveal his origin, his last name, or his employer; the latter of which he was sure they had. Whoever he was, the absolute truth was probably bothersome. He decided to leave the subject alone for the time being and to focus on the task at hand.

"Hey man, did you see them off?" Ohgi asked as he approached him from behind. Naoto took a drag and stretched his back. "Yeah… I sent them to Nagata. What do you think of them?" Naoto asked, to which Ohgi shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. "I honestly don't know. I believe their story and information on the operation, but I don't trust them entirely. It's clear that Oz is hiding something. This 'C.C.' person… why would Britannia be experimenting on her?"

As Ohgi spoke, Naoto watched as Nagata ordered the strangers around. "That's what I want to know. Whatever it is, it sounds serious. I have a pretty strong feeling that they're mercenaries. C.C. isn't their friend; she's a target. If this was personal, they wouldn't be holding back so much from us. Do you think they could be working for the Chinese Federation? Zi is Chinese, so he might have a connection with the High Eunuchs or the refrain dealers," he said with a low voice.

Again, Ohgi shrugged. "I still have no clue. Either way, we're going to help them, right? I don't think they're hiding anything more that we really need to know. I'm sure that if there was something else they needed to tell us, they would. So… I expect that we'll be keeping this C.C. person captive for a while so that we can get some more answers, am I right?" he asked with a serious tone.

"Right. We'll hold her until we deem those two as safe. For all we know, their employer could want to experiment on her themselves. As long as she's with us, she's safe. Until she's in custody, I'll assume that she's innocent in all of this as well. At that point, I'll be honest with the rest of the group about the mission, and hopefully that'll go over well. I gotta say that I hate lying to them like this, but I respect your decision to lie," Naoto said with a slightly raspy voice. Ohgi nodded as he started to watch Nagata ordering around his new workers. Oz was committed to helping; Zi, not so much.

Naoto took another drag and violently coughed, eliciting a frown from Ohgi. "Listen, I know you've told me not to comment on your habit, but you've been smoking a lot more lately. You should try slowing down," he suggested, to which Naoto sighed a cloud of smoke. He wasn't wrong, as was usual from his second in command. "I know Ohgi… I've just been stressed out lately. After that last raid in Shibuya, I can't get their faces out of my head..."

Naoto sat down on a nearby block of concrete and placed his palms over both of his eyes. He wanted to end the visions of his friends getting killed, but they continued to haunt him relentlessly. Ohgi placed a hand on his shoulder in support. "I know man, I miss them too," he said, but as the words left Ohgi's mouth, Naoto began to shake. "Naoto? What's wrong?" Ohgi asked, before Naoto suddenly stood up and trudged off into the school. Ohgi chased after him with a look of concern on his face.

Naoto continued throughout the building and up to the roof with Ohgi in tow, avoiding any eye contact with those he passed by. Once on the roof, he found that the wind was cold, but was offset by the warmth radiating from the mid-August sun. He could see all of the Shinjuku ghetto from where he stood, but could barely remember what it used to look like way back when. He and Ohgi would come up to the roof and eat lunch together when they were students, talking about all sorts of innocent things. Now, all they talked about was the resistance, planning on missions of vengeance.

"It's all my fault, Ohgi. All of the members of the resistance that have died… they died because of me," Naoto groaned as he leaned on the rusted chain link fence that surrounded the roof. Ohgi immediately ran over to him and stared at him with disbelief. "Naoto, what are you talking about? You're not responsible for their deaths, Britannia is!"

"You're wrong, Ohgi!" Naoto yelled as he slammed his fist on the fence. "They died because they joined the resistance! We keep recruiting these people, some of whom that are even younger than we were when the invasion began! If we didn't start this, they might still be alive…" he continued as he stared off into the heart of Tokyo while squeezing the fence in anger. He could only keep up appearances for so long. Everyone saw him as the unstoppable leader of the Shinjuku resistance, but they could never read underneath the cover. He was a story of guilt and tragedy with the title "Hope and Survival".

Ohgi shook his head violently while grinding his teeth. "No Naoto, that's not true! If we didn't do this work, hundreds of Japanese youths would be dead, or causing terror for themselves and other Japanese! The people that have died for this cause, they haven't died in vain!" he shouted at his best friend. Naoto closed his eyes, unable to stare at the settlement any longer. He couldn't stand to see the massive, earthquake resistant fortress in the center of it all. It was ugly and bleak, and stood in the face of what Japan was supposed to be; beautiful and vibrant with life.

As Naoto turned away lifelessly, Ohgi grabbed his shoulder. "I know you feel responsible, but they all made their decision to join us. They didn't have to, but they believed in your dream and helped to save Japan anyway. Instead of dying in the cold, or taking out their anger on themselves and others with no means to change a damn thing in this world, you actually gave them the strength to do something meaningful. If you're responsible for anything at all, it's giving these people a purpose! Now stop acting this way and respect the sacrifices that they've made!" he said, never breaking eye contact.

Ohgi was right; it was the choice of the dead to give their lives for the cause. He just couldn't help but wonder if they would change their minds now that they've lost their lives. He asked the question of himself instead; life, or freedom. It was a difficult choice. Freedom without life is just death, while life without freedom is either hell or purgatory. If he had to choose one, death was his answer. "Of course I honor their sacrifice… what they did gave hope to the people who have no choice but to fight back. I know that I gave them a better option, but still, why couldn't I give them both life and freedom?"

Naoto could feel his fists ball up in rage as he scowled at the harsh reality of the world. Ohgi sighed with sympathy. "Isn't that what we're fighting for? With our efforts, we'll reclaim Japan, and then all Japanese will have their lives and freedom again. More members will die, and we might die as well, but as long as we keep the fire alive, Britannia will never keep us down," he said with a grin as he lightly punched Naoto's shoulder. The maroon headed leader recoiled and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you Ohgi, I needed a good pep talk..."

Ohgi beamed with a grin and threw his arm around his best friend's shoulder. "Anytime 'Boss'! Now then, how about we go get some lunch? Sugiyama said earlier that he was gonna make something good with what you brought," he said as he pulled Naoto along, who laughed as he found that he couldn't fight back against Ohgi's large figure. "Yeah, that sounds nice," he said with a laugh.

Once the two men returned to the crumbling cafeteria, Sugiyama served everyone lunch; hot dogs. One of the honorary Britannians that Naoto had collected from ran a hot dog stand, so instead of tossing away what didn't get sold in the settlement, it was all contributed to his resistance. It was a gift that was appreciated by every starving member, and Naoto hoped every day that it wasn't their last. Oz and Zi were invited as well, much to the displeasure of others, but were equally appreciative.

After the meal, Naoto brought Oz and Zi outside. "Alright then… We're going to be starting our work tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll take you back to your home," Naoto said as he approached the van. He saw that Zi was exhausted, but Oz looked hopeful. "Thank you for this, for everything I mean. By the way, do you mind if we move our home here? We live in a stolen Britannian transport truck with a big guy named Ganabati. He's a great guy, you'll like him."

While Oz spoke, Naoto had trouble processing those words. Stealing a Britannian transport truck wasn't an easy thing to do. "How did you… no, you know what, I can tell that you're telling the truth, so that's all that I need to know. Sure, I'll alert the resistance so that you don't get shot at. Now get in the van, I have other places to be. In fact, I'm kinda late."

Without asking about where he had to be, since they both knew it wasn't their business, the two got into the van along with Naoto. After following the same path back into Tokyo in relative silence, Oz guided Naoto towards the location of Ganabati's truck. Once Naoto parked nearby to their destination, Oz started to get out. "We'll see you tomorrow then. I'm glad that we met you, Naoto Kozuki," Oz said with a smirk. Zi said nothing after getting out himself, and walked straight to Ganabati's truck with a tired look on his face.

"Yeah, likewise. I'll see you around," Naoto finished as he extended his arm to shake hands. Once Oz obliged, he proceeded to get out and closed the door. Naoto then started driving towards his next destination; his father's house. Whenever he had the chance, he made sure to check in with his mother and sister to make sure that they were okay.

The ride to his father's mansion wasn't very long, though he dreaded even going there in the first place. He wasn't allowed on the premises by law, since he wasn't an honorary Britannian, but he did so anyway. He knew the schedule of when his stepmother left the house, and on those days he always arrived at 3 in the afternoon when the servants were off duty. With this information, he was able to park on the other side of the property and sneak in through the back undetected.

Once he reached the backside of the building in the middle of a large lawn surrounded by trees, he simulated the call of a bird; their secret code. Not too long after, a window opened from the second floor and a long rope was thrown down to him. With a grin, he climbed up the rope and into the building, only to be greeted with a long awaited hug from his sister. He was finally home, not because he was at his father's house, but because he was with his family.

"Naoto, I missed you! It's been a month, why can't I just come to meet you somewhere else?! Playing hide and seek with that bitch is annoying, and you might get caught!" his ruby red headed sister complained. The "bitch" that she was referring to was her stepmother, and he couldn't help but laugh. "It's good to see you too, Kallen. I've been busy, so there's never a good time, but I like to come here because it's my only opportunity to see Mom. Don't worry about that 'bitch' catching me, I can handle myself. Now then, where's Mom?" Naoto asked.

With a knock from the other side of the only door to the room, a soft-spoken woman called in. "Mistress? Can I come in?" She said with a tone of anticipation. Kallen sighed in annoyance. "Yes Mom, come on in, and stop calling me that!" she said with a bothered tone, much to Naoto's chagrin. Ever since their father adopted her into his legitimate pureblood family, along with hiring their mother as a servant, Kallen had treated their mother with disdain. As for why their own mother called her mistress, the other servants beat the custom into her over the years.

Once the door opened, Naoto broke into a joyful grin. He quickened his pace to meet his mother halfway before he happily gave her a hug. "Oh, my son! You're still alive!" his mother cried, pulling him in for a tighter embrace while tears streamed down her face. Naoto hummed with affirmation. "Of course I'm still alive… and I'm not going anywhere."


	4. Crossing The Line

**Memory 4**  
**Crossing The Line**

* * *

Naoto couldn't help but smile as he sat across from Kallen at the ornate table in her room. It wasn't often that he was able to see his family, but he always looked forward to visiting them. Kallen was crossing her arms and pouting, probably because he was late, and his mother, Kimiko, had just returned from the kitchen with a tray containing a tea set while wearing her gray servant's outfit. Sitting with his family while drinking oolong tea was a perfect distraction from the stress of leading a resistance group.

Once everyone had a cup of tea, Kallen spoke up. "So, are you going to explain why you're late?" she prodded with a slight scowl. Naoto never wanted to lie to his family about anything, but he was willing to hide the truth as best as he could. "I was just dropping off some friends. That's all," he said before sipping his tea.

"Oh, how nice! I wish you could tell me more about them… you never talk about your friends," Kimiko replied, before taking a small sip from her own cup. Naoto made sure to never tell his mother about the resistance, instead always referring to them as his friends and nothing more. Kallen, on the other hand, knew everything.

His resistance group started shortly after the invasion ended with Japan's surrender. Naoto would always sneak out of their shelter with Ohgi and Nagata in the early days, scavenging for supplies and sabotaging military depots. Sometimes, Kallen would follow them, and ever since then, she's been obsessed with joining. "Yeah Naoto, why don't you tell Mom about your friends?" she said with a cunning glare, brushing aside her blue jacket around her pink dress as she heavily drank her tea and poured herself another cup.

Naoto smiled in return, attempting to hide his frustration. "Well… maybe some other time, okay?" he said as he anxiously clenched his teeth. While the two siblings silently bickered, Kimiko suddenly stood up. "Oh, I should go get some cookies! I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, before quickly making her way out the door. Once she disappeared, Kallen lunged forward across the table and grabbed her brother by the lapels of his jacket, nearly knocking over the tea set.

"Spill it! I know you're up to something!" she growled, baring her fangs like a wolf, which coupled well with her intimidating spiked red hair. Naoto was startled, but he wasn't about to drag his sister into the dangerous side of his life. "I'm not saying anything. Why should I tell you what I'm up to when I know it'll just rile you up?" he argued with a clear voice, to which Kallen groaned in protest. "Why?! How about because I'm your damn sister?! Talk to me you asshole!"

As she continued to hold on, Naoto struggled to keep a straight face as a small amount of tears began to well up in her eyes. "I look up to you, and I support you, yet you barely let me in! It's not fair!" she cried out as a tear ran down her cheek. Naoto had to look away. "I get it Kallen, I really do, but it's not gonna happen. What I do is dangerous… it'll get you killed."

Once the words left his mouth, Kallen let go and slapped him across the face. It was a rare occurrence when she did that, but when she did, it meant she was serious. "It'll get me killed… you're such a hypocrite! What about you?! What if I could be there to save you in a fight?! If you died, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life! Just because I haven't seen any action doesn't mean that I can't help you!"

As Kallen ranted her argument, Naoto closed his eyes and frowned in anger. "Kallen, that's enough!" he yelled as he stood up, startling Kallen into sitting back down. "That's exactly why I can't let you join! I gave up my chance to live here so that you and Mom could! I'm fighting this fight so that you don't have to! Everything I do is for you and Mom! Complain all you want, but you're not changing my mind!"

"Why not?! Who said you could make all these decisions for me?! I have the right to fight too, just as much as you do!" Kallen screamed, standing back up to slam her palms on the table. Just as Naoto was about to lose his temper, a knock came at the door. They both turned to see their mother standing in the doorway, shaking with a plate of cookies in her hands.

"I… I brought the cookies…" she said with a shiver. Naoto instantly melted and ran over to support her. "I see that you two… are arguing again…" Kimiko whispered, just loud enough for both of her children to hear. Naoto cursed himself for being goaded into a fight with Kallen in front of her, an occurrence that he always swore would never happen again. For their mother's sake, he tried to hide their fights, but Kallen was just so insistent sometimes that it drove him mad.

"I know, I'm sorry Mom… Let's just sit and have these cookies, alright?" Naoto said with a smile, eliciting one from Kimiko as well. "Yes… Yes, let's enjoy our time together, shall we?" she said with a cheerful tone. Once they all sat down together, Kallen snatched a cookie and looked away, avoiding eye contact at all cost. Naoto sighed; unfortunately, she was even more stubborn than he was.

"So, Mom… how have you been feeling lately?" Naoto asked as he attempted to change the subject. Kimiko took a bite of her cookie before she replied. "I'm okay," she said softly, but Naoto could tell right away that she was lying. It was obvious that she wasn't okay; expecting a resounding "I feel great" was just wishful thinking. Her eyes had bags under them, she had a slight tremor, and he could see some light bruising on her cheeks. Even after everything that she went through, she still wanted to be there for Kallen.

Although Kimiko was so distraught and broken, Kallen was too stubborn to see her suffering. The other servants bullied Kimiko constantly because she was Japanese, and Kallen's stepmother physically abused her at every chance she could get. He couldn't understand how Kallen could be so blind, yet his mother made him promise not to tell her the truth of their own mother's struggles.

Naoto had nothing more to say. Kallen was angry, his mother was broken, and he had no way to heal their mental and emotional wounds since the invasion. All he could do was be there for them, but clearly that wasn't enough. As they all sat in silence, quietly eating cookies and drinking tea, the thought of giving up the fight against Britannia played over and over in his head. His ruminating ended when Kimiko grabbed his hand.

"Naoto! You're alive!" She cried out, before she leapt from her seat and gave him another hug. Naoto's eyes widened in surprise as he hugged back. "Mom, he's been here for 10 minutes! Seriously, she must be losing her mind again… Don't you remember this happening a while ago?" Kallen asked her brother. Naoto had certainly seen this a few months prior. He also knew the truth; his mother was secretly using "refrain".

Ever since the invasion, the Japanese survivors lived in poverty with broken pride. They always wished for better days and the glory from their past. The Chinese jumped at this opportunity the moment they found a way to profit off of their misery. With the advent of the street drug called "refrain", the Japanese finally had what they were looking for.

By using a specially designed injector, vials of the drug were self-administered intravenously. Nobody knew exactly what was in the drug, but everyone knew the effect: forced recollection of positive memories. The user would enter a high that left them lost in their past, experiencing the best moments of their lives over and over.

What most people didn't know about was what lingered from the drug. Naoto occasionally took care of those affected by the drug crisis enough times to notice that memory loss was the primary side effect. Some people were so far gone that they couldn't even remember who they were. That was what Naoto was most afraid of as he watched his mother; she was probably back on the drug.

"Hey Mom? How about we take you to bed for a nap? You seem tired," Naoto said as he helped her stand up. As Kallen sighed, completely unaware of the situation, he led Kimiko out of the room and down the stairs. He opened a door directly under the staircase, leading into a small bedroom. The only furniture was a dresser and a small bed, where the other servants etched messages of hate into the furnishings and walls.

He couldn't help but scowl in rage as he laid her down to rest. As he was about to stand up again, Kimiko grabbed his wrist. "I'm sorry Naoto… It happened again, didn't it… I'm so sorry…" she whispered as tears left the corners of her eyes. Naoto sat down and held her had to try to calm her down. "It's not your fault Mom, don't be sorry. I'm going to fix this," he said as she eventually let go of his wrist.

He immediately moved to the dresser and opened the top drawer, looking for the culprit of his mother's condition. Inside was a pile of folded up clothes, but hidden underneath were vials of the drug along with an injector. Like before, this was where she kept her stash. He pulled out a pillowcase from the drawer and started to fill it with the injector and handful of vials, making sure not to break anything. Unfortunately, going cold turkey was her only option to get clean again.

Before he left her to rest, he turned back around. "Mom… how did you get this?" he asked slowly. She turned her head towards him and sighed. "On my break, I go to the park nearby. A nice man sold it to me there… I think he was Chinese," she said with a smile. It had to be the Chinese cartel. He struck a deal with them before to leave Tokyo alone, but it appeared they didn't respect deals with Elevens. They knew the cost for crossing this line.

"Okay… I'm going to fix this. Just lay down, and don't get up. I'll see you later, okay? I love you," he said as he left the room, slowly donning a murderous glare; the cartel rang their death knell. He charged back up the stairs to Kallen's room and was about to leave, but Kallen was in his way. She stood at the window, staring out at the trees surrounding the property. "You're leaving early, huh? So, if you can't see Mom, there's no reason to stay?"

"Kallen, that's not it, I have something to do, so please move…" he asked, slinging the bag over his shoulder. Kallen didn't budge. "I'm not doing shit until you talk to me. How's the resistance going? How's Ohgi? Do you have any pictures of Nagata's kid? Who are the friends you dropped off, and why… the fuck… won't you talk to me?!" she screamed in a tearful rage.

"Because I'm a bad influence, that's why!" Naoto screamed back, loud enough to shake the abandoned teacups on the table. The two siblings stood in silence for a few moments, before Naoto gently dropped the bag, walked over and held her shoulders. "I don't want you around someone like me! I'm violent, dangerous, and I have no place in this society! You need to forget about me!"

While he argued his case, Kallen stared at him as if he were speaking a different language. Her eyes continued to well up with tears, desperately struggling to stay put. "You… want me to forget about you? How could you say something like that?" she asked as she backed away from the window. Naoto couldn't look at her like this. He had to tell her the truth, once and for all. The greatest threat to her life was himself.

"That's bullshit… saying that you're a bad influence? There's no one else I'd rather look up to than you! How could I ever forget about my hero?!" Kallen cried out as she dropped to her knees, her tears finally streaming down her face. Naoto knew that she felt this way, but it had to end. "I'm sorry Kallen… but I'm not a hero. If I was, Britannia wouldn't be here anymore, and I wouldn't have to sneak around to see my own family... Either way, sticking around me will only get you killed. You have to let me go."

He picked the bag of drugs off of the floor and moved past Kallen towards the window, but as he opened it, he felt a slight tug at his jacket. "Please… take me with you… please!" Kallen pleaded as tears poured from her sapphire eyes. The last time he saw her anywhere near this distraught was when she was a child during the invasion. At this moment, he had a choice: either risk her life by taking her with him or leave her behind and break her heart. He chose the latter.

"I'll come back next week to check on Mom, but you're not coming with me. I'm doing this because I love you. Goodbye Kallen…" he whispered, eliciting a choked sob from his sister. It was a sound he never wished to hear, and it was all his fault. He repelled down the rope, then broke out in tears as he returned to the van.

After placing the bag in the back, he got in the driver's seat, cleared his throat and pulled out his phone before dialing Ohgi. "Hey man, it's me. Yeah, something just came up. It's the cartel… They crossed the line, and now they'll pay. If we keep letting them push into our territory, Japan won't stand a chance against refrain. Set up a rally at Yokohama and bring every gun and able-bodied person available. Tonight, we go to war," he said with a scowl, before hanging up to drive off towards the port of Yokohama.

The drive was long, and by the time he got there, the sun was already beginning to set. When he discarded the bag of drugs, he picked up some resistance members along the way, all strapped and ready for battle. Several other vehicles showed up at the spot he and Ohgi chose to rally at, just in case this day ever came. Not only that, but several other vehicles belonging to the Shibuya and Shinagawa resistances arrived as well for support. Ohgi, Nagata and Tamaki were all there, guns loaded and angry as hell. Unfortunately, Oz and Zi didn't choose to participate; he couldn't blame them, since it wasn't their fight in the first place.

"Well it's about damn time! Screw these assholes, I lost some good friends to refrain! Why didn't we start a fight for their sake?!" Tamaki barked, before Ohgi knelt over to him and answered. "Tamaki, your friends came to this area looking for the stuff. We had a deal not to fight them as long as they kept out of Tokyo. It seems that they haven't kept to that agreement, isn't that right Naoto?"

After he answered, everyone looked to the Shinjuku leader. "It's true… they came after my mom in secret. She's an honorary Britannian for fucks sake! The fact that they have the nerve to sell in our territory… I say no more. We should've taken them out a long time ago. I wanted to avoid war, but they broke our agreement. Shibuya, Shinagawa, are you ready for this?" he asked as he turned to the two leaders of the respective ghettos.

"All the way Kozuki. You've helped us many times, and you were the one to set up this deal, so if you say it's time, we've been ready to fight at any moment. Just say the word," the Shibuya leader said with a deep voice. Naoto appreciated having such kind neighbors. With a grin, he reached into his van and pulled out his signature weapons: a katana and a wakizashi. People occasionally mocked his ancient weaponry, and he loved to prove their assumptions wrong. After strapping the sheaths to his hip, he unleashed the katana and pointed it at the pier not too far ahead. "Tonight, we fight for Japan! Let's kill these bastards!"

"Nippon banzai!" everyone cried out, before charging towards the pier with guns raised. The Shibuya group went east to cover their flank and pick off any lookouts not in the warehouses. In a pincer attack, Naoto's forces charged into the cargo bay and lit the place up with gunfire, while the Shinagawa group headed west towards the back entrance. Once there, any cowards that tried to flee the scene were decimated as they charged in.

Naoto pushed further into the warehouse, prepared for his share of the action. As soon as he went in, a line of gunmen was positioned behind a blockade. "Fire!" the commander yelled at his subordinates. Apparently, they weren't as uncoordinated or unprepared as Naoto had expected. He sprinted behind a wall of various merchandise, dodging the barrage of lead. As the shooting stopped, he scaled the wall of goods and silently leapt from one stack to the other, slowly but surely putting himself behind enemy lines in complete silence.

As quietly as he could, he dropped down and snuck up behind the commander. "Is he dead?! Somebody tell me, is he dead?!" he called out, before having a katana blade exit through his chest. "I'm not dead yet asshole!" Naoto roared as he pulled it back out. The Chinese gunmen all looked on in shock as the demonic swordsman stood with a crimson blade, glistening in their commander's blood. "Well? Are you really willing to die for this?" Naoto asked nonchalantly.

"Screw you! Get him!" one gunman roared, but as soon as he finished speaking, Naoto was already cleaning up. Like a whirlwind, he took every chance he had to cut down every gunman as fast as possible. He kicked the gun out of one man's hand, drawing a red line across his neck with his wakizashi as he impaled him with his katana, forcing the tip into another gunman right behind him.

With a scream of rage, equal in power to the roar of a dragon, he unleashed his blade from the newly deceased, sprinted across the floor and swung his blades left and right, bringing two more men to their demise. The last two men stood in fear, before running out of the back exit, only to be slaughtered by the Shinagawa group. "Heh… Too easy," Naoto whispered with victory, but as he turned back around, he found himself at the end of a barrel. He had missed one of them. "Oh… shit…" he muttered, just as the gunman pulled the trigger.

Naoto's eyes widened as his body recoiled, blood pouring from his shoulder. In a force of sheer panic, the gunman opened fire again and again, filling Naoto with bullets, forcing him to fall on his back in an expanding red puddle. Instead of sticking around, the gunman sprinted out the back to escape, only to be shot down by the Shinagawa as well. Naoto couldn't believe that he didn't see him there; the coward must've been hiding in the back. He was sloppy, and now he was about to die.

Naoto coughed red as he laid dying. As most of the shooting stopped, a cheerful group of men and women charged into the room. "Hell yeah! Take that you bastards, this is our home!" Tamaki yelled out, just as Ohgi started walking towards the back, checking for any stragglers. "Yeah, these guys can't have our… Oh… Oh no…" he began to whisper as his eyes filled with horror.

"Ohgi…" Naoto coughed out, reaching up for his friend. Ohgi threw his gun away and sprinted over, sliding onto his knees to hold his best friend's hand. "Ohgi… Kallen… Take… care of… her…" he managed to mutter as his eyes began to lose their light. Ohgi broke down in tears, quickly realizing that his best friend was leaving the world forever.

"I… I promise… but you… You can't die! Damnit Naoto, we need you!" he sobbed in agony. Naoto couldn't help but smile. "You… have a good… heart… You… You can be… leader… now…" Naoto said with a raspy voice. Ohgi jolted up in surprise. He most likely wanted to refuse, but he knew better than to deny the wishes of a dying man. "Yes… I'll… I'll lead the resistance! I'll make you proud!" he exclaimed, just as a crowd of resistance fighters surrounded the two friends.

This was okay; Naoto trusted Ohgi, and now his mother would be safe. Kallen was in good hands, and the world would go on without him. Perhaps this was how it was supposed to be. As Naoto was about to die, a light began to consume his vision. He had always heard about seeing a white light when you die, but this one wasn't white; it was blue. He knew that something was wrong. Once the blue light vanished, he found himself completely healed, now in a new location.

He was surrounded by a pitch-black void, and all he could hear was his own ragged breathing. He was shocked and terrified, and he assumed the worst. "So… I'm dead… and this is the afterlife?" he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of it all. As tears of panic overtook his eyes, he was suddenly able to see light. Over the infinite horizon in front of him, stars began to form, extending across the sky and reflecting off of the mirror-like floor.

"You're not dead. At least, not this time," a girl's voice echoed all around him. He stood up, watching as the sky became a beautiful array of starlight; how he imagined it would look like from the top of Mount Fuji. "Hello?! Who are you, show yourself!" he called out. Almost immediately, a girl stepped out in front of him from the void. "You have no need to be afraid, Naoto Kozuki. In fact, you should be glad."

"Glad?! I'm dead! What about this situation is there to be glad about?! Who are you and where am I?!" he yelled as he threw his arms out to his sides in desperation. The girl smiled at him, almost as if she was amused by his lack of knowledge. "I, or should I say we, are the collective consciousness of the universe. I am the supervisor of dimensions, caretaker of space and time. Where we are now… will be too difficult for you to fully comprehend. Most humans who have visited this place have referred to it as C's World."

Within a moment, an ornate black chair appeared right behind Naoto as he fell backwards, catching him from falling. "Okay… I need a second to breathe… what the fuck…" he sighed as he rested his forehead in his hands and his elbows on his knees. By his assumptions, this was God, and he was dead. "I'm not God, and you're not dead. At least not yet. You were supposed to die, but I felt that your life could be useful."

"Okay, did you just read my mind?! What do you mean I'm not dead?! Since when was I supposed to die?!" Naoto stuttered, frantically trying to make sense of it all. At this point, he almost wished he was dead. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to explain everything at this time, and I can't let you die yet."

Naoto clenched his fists in rage. "Stop doing that!" he cried out, feeling extremely uncomfortable at having his mind read. As he thought this, the "Caretaker" giggled. "I can't help it. As the collective consciousness, I know every memory of all life in the universe, from the past and the present. I know all of your thoughts," she spoke in her echoed voice, brushing back her black and pink hair behind her ear just as another chair appeared right behind her.

As she sat down and crossed her legs with her hands linked over her lap, he couldn't help but ponder over her appearance. She had black hair down to her shoulders, but the bottom three inches were as pink as sakuradite. She wore a black silk blouse, with two long red ribbons flowing from her waist. In addition, she wore what appeared to be black leggings and red high heels. Repeated throughout her attire was a symbol, reminiscent of a bird in flight. If this was really God, as he had assumed, her clothes were certainly strange.

Since she could read his mind, Naoto wondered if he could have this entire conversation without saying a single word. "We could if you want," the Caretaker replied, to which Naoto sighed. "Nope, I think I'd rather just talk... Look, let's just get straight to the point. Since you saved me, what do you want from me?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Without my intervention, you were supposed to die in that warehouse. Your death had a negative effect on the world as far as I could tell, so in my search for a reason to not let humanity go extinct, I found that you could help to provide such a reason," she hummed as the sky slowly turned around them. Naoto leaned back in his chair to pinch the bridge of his nose. "So, let me get this straight… you saved me from dying because you think I can provide a reason for you to not kill everyone? What the fuck? Why me, and why not someone else? Have you made other changes?" he asked as he slowly proceeded to lean forwards to glare at her.

"Yes, but not too many… When searching for the unknown, you can't change too many things, otherwise the result will already be known," the Caretaker answered with a smirk. Perhaps she could tell him what the changes were. "No," If not that, then she could probably tell him why she made the changes. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you everything. Should I need to contact you in the future, I will appear again. I could give you all the answers now, but that would defeat the purpose as I have already explained. It's your job to prove that your species deserves to exist, not mine," she said with a stern look on her face.

Naoto huffed in defeat. "I have so many questions, but I'm assuming that's all I'm gonna get right now... What makes you so sure I'll be able to provide the proof that you're looking for anyway?" Naoto asked. All at once, she stood up as both chairs vanished, causing Naoto to fall on his back. The Caretaker slowly walked over to him and bent over to stare into his steel gray eyes. "I know you quite well, Naoto Kozuki. You're more capable than you believe."

As she gazed at him, he sighed. "If you say so… I guess I'll try. The only question left is… how? What can I do if I'm dead?" he said, and without warning, the floor beneath him opened up, forcing his body into a pose. He squeezed his eyes shut, and once he opened them, he was back in Kallen's room with one foot out of the window.

"Make a decision. Change the world," the Caretaker's voice echoed as he stepped back into Kallen's room. Kneeling below him on the wooden floor, Kallen had her palms over her eyes, sobbing profusely. He had already made the decision to leave her behind, but he felt that he had to change his decision. He took what the Caretaker said to heart, and it gave him confidence that he had a second chance. It was reason enough to try bringing Kallen along.

"Kallen… If it means this much to you… I would be selfish to keep refusing your wish. Come on, let's go," he said with a smile as he reached down to her. Slowly but surely, her mood changed, and her face beamed with a smile as she stood up. "Wait, you're serious?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed before embracing him.

As she cheered with glee and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, he shuffled in place. Even though he decided to take her with him, he couldn't possibly bring her to Yokohama as he had planned; it was just too dangerous. "Well then, how about we go to Shinjuku and hang out with everyone, like old times? We should really catch up and… Hey!" he suggested, until Kallen began digging through the pillowcase. Her eyes widened in rage; she didn't know her mother was an addict, but she knew enough about the drug to make her sick. "Refrain?! Why do you have this?! Don't tell me that you're using!"

"No Kallen, I'm not! Listen, I was getting rid of it…" Naoto defended himself as he backed away from her frightening gaze. "Getting rid of it? Wait, from here? Are you telling me that someone here…" Kallen began to ask, but it didn't take long for her to read the answer all over his face. It should've been obvious, but her ignorance of her mother's health was always too much for her to see the truth. "So… Mom has been using this?" she whispered as she cupped her mouth with her hands.

Naoto reluctantly nodded. "Kallen… I tried not to tell you… Mom doesn't want you to worry about her, so please forget about this, for her sake. I'm going to take care of this some other time, but for now, let's just go hang out or something, okay?" he said, suddenly regretting his choice to actually take her with him; being close to him was bound to get her in trouble. As was expected, Kallen shook her head. "No Naoto, I'm not ignoring this. If Mom has resorted to drugs, something has to change, because this isn't acceptable. I hate refrain for plaguing Japan, so if I can help get rid of it, I want in! Let's take care of this once and for all!"

With a committed grin, Kallen made her point. Naoto had to trust in the Caretaker's words: make a decision, change the world. Hopefully it would change the world for the better to bring Kallen along with him; after agreeing to help a celestial being find a reason for his species to exist, he couldn't afford not to. Kallen wasn't backing down from this, so stopping this train was nearly impossible anyway. "Okay then, you're in. We're going to fight the cartel that's based in Yokohama, but you need to stay behind me the whole time, got it?" he said with a stern look. Kallen grinned with anticipation.

After she quickly got dressed into some jeans, a shirt and a small jacket with combat boots, she pulled out and donned her own personal Shinjuku resistance headband. Every member wore one, so even though she was never an official member, she always wanted one anyway. Naoto went to the van and called Ohgi, while Kallen went around to the passenger's side.

After discarding the drugs and picking up resistance members along the way, the siblings arrived at the rally, now surrounded by the rest of the resistance. Ohgi was surprised by Kallen's presence, given Naoto's previously strong stance against her joining, but chose not to question his decision or protest. If Naoto decided on bringing her, no one had anything else to say. After he gave a very short speech, the resistance forces charged in. Shibuya moved to the east, Shinagawa to the west, and Shinjuku in the front.

Naoto pressed forward into the warehouse, but as he did so, Kallen followed along. She had been given a gun by a fellow rebel, wielding it like a pro; Naoto had taught her how to use firearms long ago for survival after the invasion. As he was about to enter, he stopped Kallen in her tracks. "Listen, there's a lot of enemies in there, so stay out here until I say it's safe. Understand?"

"Yeah, I get it. I won't go in, but I'll still watch!" she whispered while full of adrenaline. Naoto rushed in as she stood there, then leapt over piles of goods just to decimate the enemy forces from behind. Once the warehouse was clear, Naoto turned to the door. "Alright Kallen, it's safe!" he called out, before Kallen ran into the room with a huge grin. "Naoto, that was-" she began to reply, but it was too late.

As she stood in the middle of the room, a gunshot went off from the corner of the warehouse. Kallen collapsed to the ground, followed by a puddle of blood beginning to surround her on the floor. "No!" Naoto screamed, before he took his wakizashi and sprinted towards the gunman who was hiding in the back corner, just as he was last time. He thrust his blade through his enemy's chest, cursing the fact that he had forgotten the events of the alternate timeline in his adrenaline-fueled attack. After he removed his blade, the Chinaman slumped to the ground, before Naoto ran and slid over to Kallen to cradle her in his arms.

"Naoto… It hurts…" she winced, shakily reaching across to the bullet wound in her shoulder. "It's gonna be fine Kallen, just stay with me! Ohgi! Ohgi, anyone, help us!" he screamed as loud as he could. He pulled off his jacket and pressed it onto her wound to stop the bleeding, as tears began to run down his face. She was badly hurt, and it was all his fault.

He came to a clear conclusion in that moment: he shouldn't have changed a thing. He was manipulated into making a different decision that ultimately put his little sister in danger, and now her life hanged in the balance. As he cradled her in his blood-stained hands, he whispered the same words over and over again. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"


	5. A Risk Worth Taking

**Memory 5**  
**A Risk Worth Taking**

* * *

This wasn't supposed to happen. He was the one who should've been shot, not Kallen. He should've been the one protecting her by keeping her from getting involved, rather than dragging her into a battle. If only he could have another chance, he would gladly choose anything over this outcome. Kallen was losing a lot of blood, shivering in pain and trauma, and it was all his fault. "Naoto… Big brother…" she grunted out, her eyes squeezed shut due to the pain.

"I know Kallen, just hang in there, it's going to be okay! Hey, somebody! Somebody get a medic! Where the hell is Yoshida?!" Naoto roared, only to be received by a crowd of resistance fighters storming into the warehouse. Many of them gasped as they saw Kallen laying in his arms, all of them knowing just how serious it was that she was injured. Since she was Naoto's sister, everyone knew Kallen. They regarded her almost as if she were a princess, because she practically was for them.

"I'm right here Boss! We'll start fixing her up right away! Somebody find some more medical supplies, scavenge this whole damn place if you have to!" Yoshida exclaimed as he approached, before yelling at the rest of the crew. He was the chief medic of the resistance, one of the most trusted members, and a damn good friend.

Naoto removed his jacket from her wound and rolled it up into a makeshift pillow, then placed it under Kallen's head after Yoshida and his amateur medical crew lifted her onto a nearby table. Before the invasion, Yoshida was a doctor, so almost everything that the crew knew about first aid was thanks to him. Even so, he could only do so much without the right equipment. Naoto knew Kallen's chances of survival were better in Yoshida's hands, but it wasn't guaranteed.

Once Yoshida started assessing Kallen, which Naoto knew wouldn't take long, Ohgi came over and placed his hand on Naoto's shoulder. He didn't even register that Ohgi was there at first, only to be greeted by a face of confusion, fear, sympathy, and a touch of anger. "Dude… what the hell?" he asked.

"I get it... I shouldn't have brought her here," Naoto muttered, just loud enough for Kallen to hear. "No… Naoto… Ah!" Kallen protested before yelping in pain. Yoshida apologized to her, only to receive a teary eyed growl. To avoid interfering with Yoshida, Ohgi pulled Naoto aside for more privacy. Once they were alone, Ohgi let out the longest sigh Naoto had ever heard from him.

"Seriously, you need to explain this to me. What went through your head?! I thought you said that she would never be allowed to join, but you brought her here of all places? Why?" Ohgi asked as he leaned up against a concrete wall. Naoto winced as he heard Kallen whimper behind him, clenching his fists in regret. "If I told you why, you wouldn't believe me. Hell, if I'm honest, I don't even think I know why myself... She convinced me that she had to come along, but as soon as she was shot…"

As he spoke, Naoto slumped to the floor in regret. It was all his fault, yet he couldn't explain why he did it without sounding crazy. The Caretaker, or whoever she was, as well as Kallen herself, both convinced him to bring her along. There was no way he would tell anybody about his experience, not even Ohgi. As Naoto tried to process what was happening, his best friend knelt over to hold his shoulder.

"Whatever reason you had, I'm sure it was a good one. You couldn't have known that this would happen," Ohgi said with a calm and collected voice. Naoto looked up with a face painted with guilt, unsure if he deserved such a good friend. "No reason is good enough for this," he declared.

"Ah!" Kallen cried out, making the two men jump up. While the medical team comforted her with some saké, which was the best painkiller they could afford at the moment, Yoshida walked over to the pair of men. He pulled off his disposable surgical gloves and mask, revealing a regretful expression. "Boss… the damage is more than we expected. Long story short, the bullet fragmented, and I'm not confident that I can heal her wound without causing severe and permanent damage. I'm sorry, but I'm just not equipped for this."

As the words left Yoshida's mouth, Naoto's face turned white. Ohgi caught him as his legs gave out, heaving him back up to his feet while giving him support. "Not… Not enough equipment… Then you just need more, right?" Naoto pondered while he shivered in fear. Yoshida looked back and forth between the two men, before putting his hand to his mouth in thought. After a moment, Yoshida's head snapped up with a witty look in his eyes. "I might have an idea. It's risky, but there's a chance."

"Anything!" Naoto screamed as he grabbed the man's shoulders. Yoshida recoiled, but expected as much from his distraught boss. Ohgi nodded for him to continue. "Yes, well I'm thinking back to our meeting with Oz from earlier today. He mentioned the Rosenberg Institute, where the poison gas is being held. Perhaps the facility can be of assistance," Yoshida suggested.

"Wait, what?! How could they help?!" Ohgi exclaimed in disbelief. Yoshida put up a hand for him to calm down. "Making chemical weapons isn't all there is to this facility… It's an actual hospital as well. I know that Oz said it was a front for their operations, but it's also a fully functional medical establishment."

As Yoshida spoke, Naoto reclaimed his bearings. It was true, it really was a functioning hospital. "Okay, then Naoto can take her into Tokyo because they're both part Britannian. Why do you want them to go to this Institute though, rather than a different hospital?" Ohgi asked, to which Yoshida smirked mischievously.

"It should be obvious. While you're there, make contact with the doctor that Oz mentioned, Joseph Fenette. Find out if he's actually trustworthy, and get a first hand layout of the area," he said to Naoto in particular, causing Ohgi to scowl. "Taking advantage of Kallen's condition for an ulterior motive?! You've got some nerve Yoshida!"

Just as Ohgi yelled, Naoto nodded in approval. Ohgi was about to protest, but the look in Naoto's eyes said not to. The fact of the matter was that this opportunity was far too good to pass up. It was of no extra detriment to Kallen's condition either, so it was a worthy idea, as well as the only one they had. "Yoshida, thank you, it's an excellent idea. Go patch up Kallen as best as you can for the journey there," Naoto said with a stern tone.

Ohgi sighed after locking his eyes with Yoshida. Once the medic ran off to do his job, Naoto pondered the current situation. Had he not brought Kallen to Yokohama, this plan would never have come to fruition. Not only that, but he would be dead right now. He had to think on the bright side; what's done is done, and now was the time to get serious.

He was terrified for Kallen, and if she were to die or become permanently injured because of him, he would never forgive himself. Nonetheless, if he was thinking rationally, he could never protect her from the world if he had died instead. She probably would've joined the resistance on her own without his approval, and not even Ohgi would be able to stop her. If she survived this, his resolve to keep her out of his violent life would be stronger than ever, and perhaps she'll think twice about ever joining again.

"Make a decision… change the world…" he whispered to himself. Perhaps the Caretaker was right to make him do this, but until Kallen was safe and he had more answers, the question of whether of not the Caretaker was right or wrong to intervene would have to wait. Once Kallen was finally patched up and placed in the reclined passenger seat of his van, Naoto jumped into the vehicle and drove away, leaving the resistance to worry for the safety of their leader and his beloved sister.

The route he had taken to get to Yokohama was a bumpy one, but it was manageable. The sun was nearing twilight, giving the sky an eerie purple and red glow from the west. All of the trees were either dead or incinerated, though some plant life was clinging to the crumbling walls. Life was tenacious, always fighting the harshness of reality. It gave him hope to see green where there was once fire and ash.

"Naoto…" Kallen whispered in pain, slightly intoxicated from the alcohol she had been given. "Hey! We're heading to Tokyo to get you fixed up, so just hang in there, alright?" he said with as soothing a voice as he could manage while reaching across to check her temperature with his palm; she was colder than he was comfortable with, and her skin was a little pale. Her eyes were closed, but rather than a look of anguish as he would've expected, she wore a slight grin.

"I love you big brother… Thank you…" she whispered with a hum. His eyes widened in surprise; the last time she had said she loved him was a couple of years prior, back when she hadn't started fighting him every time they saw each other. He couldn't help but have tears well up in his eyes as they drove along. What he didn't comprehend was what she felt thankful for; he was the one who put her in this mess in the first place.

After what felt like forever, they finally reached the Shinjuku ghetto, then passed through the usual tunnel that accessed the Britannian highway into Tokyo. At this point, the bandages over Kallen's shoulder were almost entirely red, seeping through to stain the seat she was laying in. Her skin was almost a ghostly white, and they were running out of time.

"It's just around the corner Kallen, just hang in there!" Naoto yelled as he turned a corner, then parked right in front of the Institute. A few armed guards came out along with a few curious scientists and doctors. Once Naoto jumped out, he put his hands up. "Don't shoot! Please help, my sister was shot by terrorists!" he called out, telling the best lie he could come up with for the bullet wound.

"What?! Alright, you two, go get a medical team! Sir, everything is going to be fine, we'll take care of her right away!" a doctor shouted as Naoto carried Kallen out of the vehicle while a stream of blood was running down her arm. He didn't notice how much he was crying until the medical team showed up with a gurney. After he placed her on it with some assistance, they all ran into the building. Soon after she was carted off, a nurse brought him a spare white shirt. "A shirt? Why would…"

As he looked down at himself for the first time since Kallen was shot, he noticed that his shirt was soaked in blood. He nodded uncomfortably before taking the new shirt, then looked around for a place to change. "Here, come this way. We have a shower that you can use as well," the nurse said. He knew that Kallen was in the best place possible given her condition, even though they were in the belly of the beast, but for now it was the only chance she had. Now he just had to get himself cleaned up before waiting for her to be healed. As Kallen was brought into an elevator on the gurney, he turned towards the front door as he heard a girl scream.

"Oh God, Kallen!" the girl cried out, who had just entered the lobby. She had light blue hair that reached the middle of her back and had hazel colored eyes, along with a purse strapped over her shoulder. He didn't recognize her, but she clearly knew his sister. Perhaps she was a student at Ashford Academy, where Kallen went to school. Once he was situated, he made sure he would find out who that was.

After being led to the showers, he cleaned himself up and dried himself off. He put on the clothes that weren't stained with blood, but before he put on his brand new shirt, he couldn't help but notice his body in one of the mirrors. He had a few scars on his arms and torso, all from years of fighting. He'd been worked on by Yoshida many times, and luckily every bullet or cut he had ever taken hadn't been serious enough to put him in the ground; at least, not yet.

He knew the pain that Kallen felt, and it drove him mad. No one should suffer the agony of getting shot, especially her. After donning his new shirt, he went out to the front desk. "Excuse me, where is…" he began to ask, before the receptionist pointed to the elevator and answered. "Floor 27, room 31. She's still in surgery right now, but that's where she'll be when she's out of the operating room."

Of course she was still in surgery; Britannian medical technology was extremely advanced, but not enough to heal a wound like that in two minutes. If he couldn't see her at the moment, then he had time to accomplish his side mission. First, he had to find Joseph Fenette. As he started searching for a way to find the doctor, a security guard approached him. "Excuse me, but do you care to explain further on how that girl got shot? I'd like to see some form of identification as well, for security purposes," he asked.

"My ID? Well, my wallet fell out, and… I, uh…" Naoto began to stutter, realizing that he hadn't planned for this scenario at all. As the guard grew even more suspicious, the high-pitched voice of the azure haired girl from before interjected. "How could you?!" she exclaimed, forcing the guard to recoil.

"Miss Turing? I'm sorry, but I'm just following protocol…" the guard started to defend himself, only to be cut off again. "Did you not just see him carry that girl in here?! How can you actually think that he's a security threat?!" she yelled, garnering the attention of the surrounding crowd. The guard recoiled from the girl. "Please, Miss Turing, it's just my job!"

"I don't care! My family owns a lot of stock in this company, so I'd watch it if I were you! Now leave him alone!" the girl barked as she slowly approached the guard. Fortunately, he ended up backing off. Whoever this girl was, she was not someone to be messed with; at least that's how it seemed at first glance. As soon as the two were alone in the middle of the lobby, she turned to Naoto with an innocent smile. "Hi! I'm Penny! Now let's go chat somewhere in private, shall we?"

"Uh… sure," he said, glad that he wasn't going to be carried away by law enforcement. Penny led him to the elevator and pressed the button for the 21st floor. Once the doors were closed, she stood with her back to the wall with a suspicious gaze. Of course, the elevator had to play crappy music.

Now if he had to describe Penny, she wasn't very threatening at all. In fact, she appeared to be the least threatening person he'd ever met, despite her outburst with the guard. Perhaps it was her squeaky voice, small stature and overall innocent appearance. She wore a denim jacket over a white blouse, along with a pair of black pants and sneakers. Given her harmless appearance, he still wouldn't mess with her; she reminded him of a Shiba Inu he had seen one time during a supply run, growling at anyone who approached it's owner.

"So, how do you know Kallen? Who are you?" she asked, somehow leaving no room to avoid the question. He had to be careful with how he answered as to avoid suspicion, but he preferred to tell the truth when he could afford it. "My name is… Nathan. Kallen is my sister," he said, eliciting a raised eyebrow. "Wait… she never said she had a brother? You're lying!" she exclaimed as she stomped her foot.

"I'm not lying!" he defended himself, knowing fully well that he lied about his name, "I'm not surprised that you haven't heard about me though… If you're her friend, it's best that you don't know anything about me. To be honest…" he began to say with a frown, thinking about what he should do next regarding Kallen, "I don't think I'll be around her much longer."

Once the elevator reached the 21st floor, Penny turned around with a look of concern. "What do you mean you won't be around her?" she asked with sincerity as the doors opened with a "ding". Naoto shuffled out beside her, not even bothering to ask where they were going. His curiosity was piqued, and that's all that mattered for now; Joseph could wait. "Let's just say that as long as I'm not around her, it's for the best," he replied with a solemn tone.

After less than a minute of following Penny through the halls of the floor, they arrived at a room where the shutters were half closed. Penny slowly opened the door and immediately held her hand over her heart. In the middle of the room, a girl who was about her age was fast asleep in a bed, with balloons at the foot of her bed and a small pile of stuffed animals in the corner. Penny pulled up a chair and sat down.

The sleeping girl had dark green hair and a small, fragile face. A pair of round glasses laid on the table next to her, along with a sturdy laptop. "Her name is Nina Einstein. She moved to Area 11 a few years ago, after her parents were killed by terrorists in the Britannian mainland," Penny explained, motioning Naoto to take a seat next to her.

"Seriously? Damn… I'm so sorry, nobody deserves that... How do you know her, and what happened to her?" Naoto asked. Penny gave a wistful smile as she held Nina's hand. "Before Nina left the mainland, we used to be best friends. After the death of her family, she was moved to Area 11… A few months ago, she was hit by a car," Penny explained further, with tears forming in her eyes.

Naoto couldn't help but sympathize. Even though his focus was mostly on Kallen's condition, he had room to spare for the tragedy of strangers, even Britannians. In fact, he welcomed anything that could distract him from the fact that he was a failure of a brother. "Poor girl… I hope she gets better soon. I wonder if she knew Kallen?" Naoto asked.

Penny giggled, oddly reminiscent of a squeak toy, further accenting her harmless nature. "Oh no, I doubt it. Nina doesn't have many friends… all of the balloons and stuffed toys in the room are from classmates, but most of them aren't actually friends with her. From what I've learned, Nina's only friends are in the student council, which I'm a part of now. After she was admitted to the hospital, I moved here from the mainland just to keep Nina company in her time of need," she said, staring up at him with a gentle smile. Naoto never knew what it felt like to be that alone; he always had friends to watch his back. "Kallen never talks about school. I don't know if she has many friends either," Naoto pondered aloud.

"Really? Well, I see her hanging out with some other girls once in a while. I think she's wonderful! She always sticks up for… Never mind…" Penny said with a bittersweet smile. She was clearly hiding something, but he didn't want to bother pushing for answers. "Well I'm glad that you feel that way Penny. My sister needs good friends like you, people who are kind. I wonder how she's doing now… I hope the surgery is going well."

While Naoto's head dropped, Penny patted his shoulder. "I'm sure that she's fine. This facility is top notch! They take such good care of Nina after all," she said with a grin and a thumbs up. If she only knew the horrific truth of what really went on in the Institute. After listening to her story, it was about time that he got some real answers. "So, Penny, do you come to see Nina often?"

Penny nodded. "I do. Every other day at sundown, I try to meet up with her. Why do you ask?" she inquired as she placed her hands on her lap. "Well, I'm looking for a certain doctor. Do you know any by the name of Joseph Fenette?" he asked, which caused her eyes to light up. "Doctor Fenette?! Of course I do, he's the father of one of my best friends! He's kind to everyone, especially his patients. Why do you wanna talk to him?"

Naoto leaned back in the chair and sighed. "Well… I have some business to discuss with him. Do you know where I can find him?" he asked, and with a wide grin, Penny immediately reached into her purse and pulled out what appeared to be a custom made phone. "FLEIJA, find Shirley's dad!" she said to the device. Naoto recoiled as the phone replied in a woman's voice, monotone and fabricated. "Certainly Penny. The doctor is currently on the 8th floor in the middle of a surgical procedure. Was this information helpful?"

"Yes FLEIJA, it was. Thank you," she said with a happy little cheer. Naoto was still confused. "I've never heard of this technology before. What's FLEIJA?" he asked with a raised brow. Penny began to hum as she placed the phone on her lap. "My FLEIJA program is better than any other technology on the market! The Free Learning Erudite Interactive Judgement Avatar, or FLEIJA for short. Nina and her family always had an interest in Norse mythology, so I named it after Freyja, Nina's favorite goddess… Coming up with the acronym wasn't easy... It learns on its own and records information, as well as processes potential solutions to questions that you didn't even know to ask! It's also continuously creating its own personality. It's a work in progress…" the supposed computer genius enthusiastically explained.

"Wait… you made this?" Naoto asked in astonishment. He still didn't fully understand what FLEIJA was, but he was impressed nonetheless. Penny squeaked as she held her cheeks. "I did! It's awesome, isn't it? That being said, I can't really tell you how it works…" she hummed in self satisfaction before nervously laughing. Before Naoto could press for answers, the FLEIJA device suddenly lit up and spoke. "Penny, I've just learnt that Kallen Stadtfeld has left surgery. At this moment, she is being transferred to her assigned room on the 27th floor."

Naoto scowled as it spoke. It seemed that it was listening to their conversation the entire time; he didn't like that at all. "Alright, well I have to go then. It was nice meeting you two… or three, if you count the robot…" Naoto said as he stood up to leave. Rather than a reply from Penny, the device lit up again. "It is confirmed that your sister's surgery went smoothly. Goodbye, Nathan," it said, before Penny waved with an innocent grin.

After Naoto quickly made it to the elevator, he mashed the button for the 27th floor. Once it finally ascended and the doors opened, he jogged to "Room 31" and looked through the window to see a girl with spiked red hair lying in a bed. "Kallen…" he sighed with relief, before entering and pulling a chair to her side. He took her hand in his, silently praying to whatever higher power there was that she would fully recover without any setbacks; he certainly wasn't praying to the Caretaker.

As he did so, he didn't even notice a doctor sitting in the corner of the room; Naoto assumed that he was the one who operated on Kallen. "Um… excuse me? Who are you?" he said as he sat up in his chair. He had been resting with the bridge of his nose in his hand. After saving Kallen's life, he deserved his rest. Naoto turned to him and began to stutter for an answer, but then noticed the man's ID badge.

"You're… Doctor Joseph Fenette?" he asked in disbelief, to which the doctor raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am. Do you… know me from somewhere?" he replied. Both men stood up and shook hands in greeting, before Naoto pulled him in closer. "I'm working with the person who tried to save C.C., and I'm here to help," he whispered as quietly as he could.

Joseph's eyes lit up. "Really now? Well, what are the chances of me being the doctor to work on your…" he whispered back. Naoto nodded, then looked over at the sleeping girl. "She's my sister. I'll be right back Kallen, I've just got some business to take care of," he said with a gentle smile as he turned back to look at her sleeping face.

Deciding that she was safe for now, Naoto let Joseph bring him down the hall and out to a small terrace, open to the spectacular view of the Tokyo settlement. The sky was pitch-black, with the exception of the stars that dotted the sky. They were both exhausted, and almost simultaneously pulled a cigarette from their pockets and lit them. "You know that causes cancer, right?" Joseph prodded with a teasing grin, to which Naoto grinned in return.

"Yeah, I really don't know how I'll ever quit… in my line of work, it's hard to let go of an addiction. What about you? How can a doctor smoke?" Naoto answered. Joseph took a drag and raised an eyebrow. "Well, being a doctor that's been forced to experiment on an immortal girl is more than enough to keep me from quitting. What is it that you do for a living?" Joseph asked.

"Terrorism," Naoto answered plainly, causing the doctor to have a coughing fit. "Gah! Shit… Well, yeah, that explains things…" Joseph managed to reply. Naoto was sure that Joseph wouldn't tell anyone; he had enough secrets to take care of as it was. Speaking of secrets, Joseph revealed something new. "Oz never told me why C.C. was being experimented on. You said that she's immortal? That's a joke, right?"

Joseph blinked as he leaned over the railing with his arms crossed. "It's not a joke. C.C. is immortal; she can physically die, but resurrects and regenerates after a time, depending on how hurt she is, at least according to our tests. That should've been in the flash drive I gave him," he said as he took another drag. Naoto cursed the oddly dressed stranger; why he would keep this information to himself was beyond his imagination.

"Well, either way, we're going to free her. We could certainly use your help from the inside," Naoto replied as he leaned over the railing as well. He always had an affinity for heights. It made him feel powerful to stand over the world; he always dreamed of flying. From his perspective, the view from the terrace was truly amazing.

Joseph sighed as he flicked the ash of his cigarette into the wind. "I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure what that might entail. Bartley has been on our asses ever since your friend tried to save her. The general knows that you're coming, but I don't know how he's prepared for your arrival," he said with a nervous glance. Naoto nodded with appreciation for the information. "That's good to know, thank you. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

As Naoto stared with expectation, the doctor looked at his watch and grunted. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't help you with anything else right now. I only had a short window to take a break and I'm already needed elsewhere," he said, before turning to enter the building. Naoto pulled his arm before he could leave. "Well how can I reach you? I need to talk to you again," Naoto asked. Joseph pointed directly at the ground, "We can meet here on my lunch break tomorrow. I can tell that your sister won't be leaving here for at least a few days."

After following the doctor inside, the two parted ways for the night. Naoto returned to the hospital room and sat down next to Kallen, who was blissfully sleeping in peace. All he ever wanted for her was to be happy and safe, and yet he put her through all this trouble. He swore that he would never let this happen again, no matter what. All he had to do was remove the source of her problems. "It's going to be alright Kallen, I promise. Once you get better… you'll never see me again," he whispered as he held her hand.


	6. Witness To A Nightmare

**Memory 6**  
**Witness To A Nightmare**

* * *

After an hour of waiting, Naoto felt his eyes begin to close on their own. Kallen was still unconscious, and her skin was regaining its former color as she was hooked up to a couple of blood bags. Never once did he let go of her hand, though he couldn't keep his grip for long. He was tired, and the exhaustion was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

The day had been way too intense, and only reminded him of what was ahead. Oz and Zi had asked for his help, his mother was back on refrain, he fought the Chinese, and Kallen was almost killed. On top of all that, the "Caretaker" revealed her existence to him. He had so many questions left unanswered by a being he could only deem as a god, regardless of her saying that she wasn't one.

He wanted to understand what had happened. He was given the chance to bring Kallen with him instead of leaving her behind, but he couldn't be sure if that was what the Caretaker thought might help. It seemed like it was the decision that the Caretaker implied should be changed, but the result was the complete opposite of what he had intended. Most of all, he wanted to know what else the Caretaker had changed.

"I'm so sorry Kallen. I shouldn't have brought you…" he said with a quivering voice, as a single tear ran down his cheek. Before his guilt could ravage his mind any further, a knock came at the door. Without permission, the guest poked their head in. "Oh, you're still here!" said the high-pitched voice of Penny. After walking over to him, her jaw dropped as she gazed upon the sleeping beauty. She immediately turned away, emotionally incapable of handling the sight.

Naoto sighed as he tried to warm Kallen's hand between both of his own. "She's going to be fine. Doctor Fenette performed the surgery himself, and I trust him," he said with a forced smile. The azure headed girl was feisty, but her heart was fragile. She turned back to the Kozuki siblings and caught her breath. "Yes, she appears to be fine. So I assume that this means that you've concluded your business with him?" she asked with a depressed tone of voice.

"No, it's only just begun. Thankfully he was the one to work on her, so finding him was easy," he said. He was unsure as to how Joseph could be both a surgeon and an experimental scientist at the same time, but perhaps that was why he was chosen to work on C.C.: he had valuable expertise. Naoto guessed that doing both jobs simultaneously would be taxing. "That's quite the coincidence… The world works in mysterious ways though, right? Anyway, I just wanted to check on her… she's always been very helpful to me."

Naoto raised an eyebrow. "Helpful? How?" he asked, causing Penny to nervously laugh. "Oh, it's nothing… She's just a good friend to have when it comes to… well, bullies…" she squeaked out. Naoto's eyes widened. "Oh… I'm sorry to hear that. So Kallen… protects you?" he asked, mostly in disbelief that his sister would bother fighting for a Britannian.

"Well, sort of? I mean, if bullies start picking on me, she just sort of looks at them, and then they stop. She also whispers things to them, though I can never actually hear what she says. When she does that, they never bully me again!" she said with an uncomfortable yet cheerful grin. Naoto couldn't be more proud. The question remained why Penny was worth protecting, but if Kallen would go that far for her, Naoto would want to care for this squeaky girl as well.

With a gentle smile, Naoto looked at his sister with pride. "Yeah. She's pretty great alright," he said quietly, to which Penny hummed in agreement. "She is, but you don't look too good yourself. You look ready to pass out at any moment!" she giggled. Naoto slowly nodded, somehow still managing to sit up straight. "I can't go home though. I have to be here when she wakes up."

As he said so, Penny ran over to a cabinet across the room. "Here… The Institute keeps spare blankets in every room, so you can have these. You can sleep here if you'd like," she said with a gentle smile. "Wait, can I? Is it really okay to sleep here?" Naoto asked with curiosity as she quickly threw a blanket on top of him. Penny nodded with another giggle. "Of course! I do it sometimes after all with Nina, hoping I'll wake up to see her smiling at me… I'm sorry that I have to go home now, but I'll inform a nurse that you'll be spending the night on the way out. Just make sure that nothing bad happens to Kallen! Goodnight Nathan!"

After patting his head and leaving the room, turning the lights off on her way out, Naoto sighed and tucked himself in between his chair and the bed. Once he rested his head right next to Kallen's hand, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Once he opened his eyes, Naoto immediately knew that something was off. Everything he saw was black and white, and the air felt usually soft on his skin. He was in a room on the second floor of a building, standing in front of a window that looked out upon a cargo truck full of various pieces of furniture. A well-dressed man in a fur coat was speaking to a few other men in uniforms who were moving the furniture, before walking towards the house with a chair in hand. In the distance was an eery backdrop of snow-covered trees, with the sun hanging behind an overcast sky.

As Naoto turned around, he saw that the room was rather old fashioned, simple, empty and bleak. What immediately caught his eye was the woman standing in the doorway with a newborn bundled up in her arms. She appeared to be in her late thirties, had bright eyes, wavy light colored hair, possibly blonde, and a plain white dress with a fur shawl. She didn't look happy at all.

Suddenly, it hit him: he was trespassing. "Oh! Hi! I'm sorry, I'm not trespassing! I mean, I am, but I don't know how I…" he stuttered in fear, before the woman walked straight through him as if he wasn't even there. The woman placed her free hand on the glass and sighed nervously, gently holding the bundle to her chest.

"It's going to be okay sweetheart… Once daddy gets some support, we'll be safe… They'll never come after us ever again," she whispered in a quivering voice. As she stepped away from the glass, another voice spoke up from the doorway, causing the mother to jump. "Mom? Why did we have to move again? Why can't we go back to Britannia?"

"Oh! Verina! It's just you…" the woman said with a shiver. The girl at the doorway was about ten years old, had a lighter shade of hair put up in a short ponytail, and wore an off-white flowery dress. The woman looked at her with fear and concern, though he could gather that it wasn't directed at the girl, but in a more general sense for her well being.

The mother approached Verina as she continued to cradle the infant. "Look, sweetheart, it's very complicated grown up stuff, but we left Britannia for a good reason. We left because we love you so very much!" she said with a smile. Verina didn't seem convinced. "It's just not fair though! I had friends in Britannia! I don't care why we left, I want to go home! I hate moving and I hate you!" she complained.

The mother was visibly distraught, as was expected. As Verina ran away, the mother called out. "Verina! Come back! Let's talk about this!" she yelled, now on the verge of tears. Due to her loud voice, the baby woke up and began struggling in her arms. "Oh no! It's okay Leila, it's okay! Mommy's alright!" the mother cooed, cradling the child back and forth.

"Hey, Claudia?! You up there?!" a man called out from the first floor. Claudia sighed, then walked down the stairs to her husband, who was currently placing his fur coat on a rack in the corner of the foyer. "Yes Bradow, I'm here… I'm trying to keep Leila away from all this noise, which clearly isn't working. I need some space for myself as well…" she said, before carefully handing the bundle off to Bradow. The father, dressed in a gray suit, grinned as he held her.

"I know you keep saying that you're fine, and it's been two months since you've had Leila, but are you sure you're okay?" he asked with concern. Claudia nodded in affirmation. "Yes, my beloved, overly concerned husband, I'm fine. What is it that you wanted?"

Bradow tilted his head a little to the side. "I wanted to know if you've seen Verina around? I'm worried about her… She hasn't taken the moving around very well ever since Leila was born," he asked with concern. Claudia hummed in distress as she placed her forehead in one hand and her other hand on her hip. "Yes, she made that very clear to me just now upstairs. She ran away, and I don't know where she went… I swear, I don't know how we can keep hiding the truth from her on why we left the mainland. Are you sure this will be worth it?" Claudia asked with expectant eyes. Bradow inhaled deeply before sighing.

"To be honest… I'm not entirely sure. It'll be quite some time before we're ready, but once we are, everything will get better. I promise you, we'll be safe," Bradow answered with a smirk. Claudia blushed way too easily from Naoto's perspective. As he watched them, he realized that he felt somewhat forced to keep following Claudia around. It was a lucid dream of sorts, but he still had very little control, as if this was Claudia's dream and not his own.

As the couple stared into each other's eyes, Bradow's cellphone started to ring. Since his hands were full with Leila, Claudia took it, read the caller ID, then answered. "Yes? What's going on?" she asked in a nervous tone. After putting it on speakerphone, a voice began to speak with a thick French accent. "I assume that this is Claudia von Breisgau speaking? Very well. My name is Gene Smilas, colonel of the Europian armed forces. We've received word from intelligence that the Britannians have dispatched an assassin to your location."

"What?!" the couple screamed in disbelief, causing the baby to start crying incessantly once again. While Bradow started rocking the infant in his arms, Claudia shook in fear. "How?! We only just left the safe house in Paris a few hours ago! We came to France because your government said they would protect us!" she cried in terror as the general replied, "We will protect you Madame, don't you worry. A military envoy is en route to your location as we speak, and they are entirely capable of handling an assassin. You'll be safe with them."

"An envoy? Very well, thank you Colonel! Thank you so much!" Bradow replied. "It is of no problem for us. The safety of your family is paramount. With this, I ask that you stay put until the envoy arrives. Adieu," Smilas said before hanging up. As soon as the call ended, Claudia's eyes widened. "Oh no… Verina! I have to go find her!" she exclaimed as she ran up the stairs. Bradow called out, but Naoto couldn't hear exactly what he said as they checked each of the empty rooms, so he assumed that she didn't hear him either.

"Okay, she's not in the house… Please, Verina, where are you!" she screamed as she ran past her husband and out the back door. Bradow couldn't do anything while taking care of Leila, let alone hand their child off to his wife and search in her stead. Claudia pulled off her heels and traversed the snow-covered lawn barefoot, running all around the property while searching for her daughter. "Verina! Verina!" she screamed, before Naoto heard a gunshot off in the woods behind the house. His blood ran cold.

Naoto sprinted alongside her as they traveled into the woods, following a path of small footsteps in the snow, coupled with a larger pair of boot tracks. It wound left and right for some time, before ending at an old well. As they approached, Naoto had to shield his eyes from what he saw. "No…" Claudia whispered. "No… No, no, no…" she whispered a little louder. "No… No. No. No! No! No!" Claudia screamed in horror as her legs gave out and she collapsed on the cold, frozen ground.

"Yes," a young woman's voice said from right behind them, holding a smoking pistol in her right hand. She had hair with long curling tendrils and a bright cape, which covered a white uniform bearing the insignia of the "Knights of the Round", Britannia's most versatile knights. She looked no older than Naoto's age, and he noticed a tear running down her cheek before quickly wiping it away with her free hand.

Claudia turned away from the well, then stood up and clumsily sprinted towards the woman with all her might, seething in rage with tears running down her face. "You… you bitch… you killed my daughter! I'll fucking kill you!" she furiously screamed.

As she charged at the woman, the assassin swung her leg around and kicked Claudia in the head, forcing her to land in the snow face first, before leaning over her with a malicious sneer. "I understand why you hate me. To be honest, I don't blame you. I didn't want to kill her, but you know how the world is. Sometimes you don't have a choice but to suffer, and you just have to live with the pain. Should you blame me for being the one to pull the trigger, or the world for its own twisted nature?"

The assassin knelt over and picked Claudia up by her hair and lifted her head, now covered in snow, dirt and tears. "My job here wasn't just to kill her… it was to kill your entire family. But you know what? I'm going to let the rest of you live. I'll let you experience exactly what I went through… and my advice? Forget about the child that you lost. Forget that she ever existed. Tell everyone you know to forget about her, and maybe then the pain will go away," the assassin whispered.

"Fuck you!" Naoto screamed as he swung his arms through the assassin, though it did nothing at all in his current form. Tears streamed down his face as he attacked, screaming the whole time. Out of the corner of his eye, the image of Verina's corpse infected his psyche, fueling his anger for Britannia. He'd seen dead children before, but this felt personal.

"Forget her? How could I forget my own child? What kind of monster forgets about their child?! If your job is to kill me, then why don't you just do it already?! How could I go on without my baby?!" Claudia whimpered, almost unintelligible with her words. As the tears streamed down Claudia's face, the assassin growled. Claudia couldn't stop crying, and neither could Naoto. The idea of this innocent girl not existing in the world was too much to bear, all because Emperor Charles wanted her to die. A girl he never knew before, yet mattered all the same.

Naoto wondered how Claudia could possibly take the advice. Memories are the source of all pain after all. It's impossible to feel pain from something that you don't remember. Naoto could imagine a world where baby Leila never knew about her big sister, simply because her memory caused so much pain for her mother and everyone else. He could imagine how appealing that might sound to a woman in so much pain. That being said, Claudia would never forget; it wasn't in a mother's nature.

"You seem almost convinced... Perhaps I should convince you further!" the assassin yelled out, before a bird shaped symbol appeared in her left eye. As she stared at Claudia, the mother's face visibly melted into that of absolute belief. "You're right... You're right. I should forget about Verina and make her memory disappear. It's just too painful," she said with a solemn, brainwashed tone. Naoto was in complete disbelief. "No… No… That's not right…" he whispered, just as a blue light began to appear all around him. "Her memory… Her existence…" he choked up, clenching his teeth as tears poured from his eyes. "Verina… deserves to exist!"

As he roared into the heavens above, the blue light consumed everything. "We agree, Naoto Kozuki," echoed a familiar voice. As he landed on the reflective floor of C's World, the Caretaker made herself known once again, appearing out of thin air underneath the starlit sky.

Naoto immediately started yelling. "Why would you show me this?! How could you let such a thing happen?!" he roared, throwing his arms out to the side. The Caretaker didn't even move. "It's not my place to make the world better, it's yours. It's humanity's fault that this happened," she said with a deadpan stare. Naoto glared daggers at the god. "I'm not a god," she replied to his thoughts.

"I want some answers! I want to know why you saved me, and why you didn't save Verina instead! Saying I could help prove that humanity deserves to exist… why me?! Who says that she can't make a difference too?!" he started to growl. The Caretaker didn't react, which should've been expected from a god. "I meant what I said when I told you that you can save it... I also never said that Verina couldn't help save your world as well."

At that statement, Naoto tilted his head. "Wait, what?" Naoto asked as he leaned forward. Within a split second, he was back inside the Breisgau's home. Claudia had just realized that Verina was gone. "Oh no… Verina! I have to go find her!" she exclaimed as she started to run up the stairs, same as before. This time, he had to change something.

"Wait! She's in the woods, she went outside!" Naoto called out, attempting to communicate somehow. As soon as the words left his throat, Claudia turned around. "Wait… Outside…" she murmured, before stumbling back down the stairs and out the back door. She pulled off her heels, then ran straight into the woods. Naoto was alongside her the entire time.

Once they reached the well after following the footsteps in the snow, Naoto sighed with relief. "Mom? What are you doing here? I don't want to talk to you!" Verina said with a pout, luckily still alive and shivering in front of the well. Claudia breathed heavily in desperation. "Honey, what are you doing out here?! I'll explain everything, but we have to go right now. Please, a bad person is coming after us! It's freezing out here too, so please, let's go!" she pleaded as she grabbed Verina's arm.

"No! I'm sick of moving all the time! I just want to live a normal life! I don't want to be anywhere near you until we can go back home! It's unfair, I hate you!" she screamed, stubbornly fighting her mother. Just as they were about to leave the area, a dark figure started to walk up the path. "Oh shit… You need to hide! Hurry!" Naoto yelled, somehow affecting Claudia once again.

"Verina… Hide in the well…" Claudia whispered, causing Verina to scowl. "Why would you want me to…" she replied, before Claudia immediately fired back with fiery eyes. "Go!" she growled, causing Verina to crawl into the well in fear. It had a rope hanging from a crank with a bucket on one end. The entire structure was made of stone and iron, so it was sturdy enough to hold her weight as she climbed to the bottom.

By the time she was gone, the dark figure finally showed up. "Well then, here we are. Tell me Claudia, did you really think that Pluton wouldn't find your family? Running to Europia was a fair idea, but you had to know that running wouldn't protect you forever," the assassin said as she pointed her gun. Claudia scowled as she stared down the Knight of the Round. "I knew you would find us eventually… that's why we hoped to use Europia United's protection. Pluton wouldn't risk being discovered by the public… Isn't that right, Olivia Zevon?"

As Claudia spoke the name, the assassin began to laugh. "Ah, I suppose my reputation precedes me. Yes, I am Olivia Zevon, and like you, I also had a child recently… Twins, in fact, but I lost one of them. I was planning on sharing how it feels to lose a child with you… with anyone… but I suppose I'll just go home knowing that you're dead instead, and call that mission accomplished. Any last words?" Olivia asked as she pointed her gun at Claudia. "Yeah, I do actually. You only wish you were as good a mother as I was," Claudia scoffed, right before Olivia pulled the trigger. In that moment, everything went black.

* * *

When Naoto opened his eyes, he felt a hand tussling his hair. "Hey, Naoto. Wake up," a soothing voice said. "Hmm?" Naoto groaned as he sat up in his chair. He wiped some tears from his cheeks, then rubbed his eyes before looking upon Kallen. She had the gentlest and kindest smile that he'd ever imagined her having; the painkillers were probably the reason why. For once, she looked more like their mother than their father. "Good morning Sis," he said.

"Good morning to you too," she replied with a weak grin. Her skin was still a little flush, so she was probably feeling weak. "Hey, why are you awake? I'm glad you seem okay, but you should get more rest," Naoto continued to groan sleepily. Kallen couldn't help but giggle before humming with concern. "Well, if you weren't yelling some girl's name in your dreams, I might be. Seriously, that's kinda creepy..."

"Girl's name? What are you… Oh…" he replied, remembering the nightmare he just witnessed, all thanks to the Caretaker. He must've been calling for Verina, just like Claudia was. Now he had even more to think about. He wished he could've gotten a good night of sleep, but no, the Caretaker would have to take that away from him as well as be partially responsible for his sister's condition.

Kallen sighed, before grabbing her brother's ear and pulled it towards her. "So? Who's Verina? Since when do you have another girlfriend? It's about damn time you moved on you know!" she teased with a mischievous tone. Naoto was completely awakened by the sharp pain in his ear. "Ow! Okay, stop! She's not my girlfriend, and I think she's only ten years old!"

As he backed away after being let go, he looked over to see tears in her eyes. "So you're a lolicon now? Just like Minami?" she whispered with a broken heart. She knew all about the crew of the resistance, and everyone knew that Minami had an interest in such things. Naoto nearly cried out in defense at that statement. "Fuck no! First of all, she's real, and second of all…"

"You're a pedophile?!" Kallen screamed, nearly fainting from anemia. Naoto stuttered, trying to come up with the right words. "No! I just… Verina is… The daughter of someone I knew… She was almost killed, and now I…" he managed to say, which had calmed Kallen down. What he needed to know now was if Verina was okay. He wished he could've saved Claudia, but there was nothing to be done now. Since Olivia killed Claudia, Bradow must've saved Verina from the well sometime afterwards. She couldn't have hid in that well for too long.

"You never told me about this girl before. Is she okay?" Kallen asked, before pointing to the pitcher and cup on the table next to them. Naoto poured some water for her and handed the cup to her. "I'm not sure. It's really complicated, so it's best not to get into it. How about you? How are you feeling?" Naoto asked with a smile as she took a long sip.

Kallen exhaled blissfully, as if she had just stepped into an onsen. "To be honest… I couldn't be happier. Being able to finally join the resistance? Fighting alongside you in a battle for the sake of Japan? It's a dream come true!" she said with a toothy grin. It hurt to see her so happy, especially since he had no choice but to break her heart. "Kallen, about that, I…"

"Kallen!" a young woman's voice cried out from behind him before he could finish speaking. Perhaps it was good timing. He looked to the young woman who was now standing at the door, who was admittedly beautiful and gave off a positive aura while wearing a yellow school jacket. Despite her appearance, he sensed danger from her.

"Oh no…" Kallen groaned as the blonde haired girl approached her bed. From what Naoto could gather, the girl who entered the room made Kallen uncomfortable, and it was definitely her personality that got to her. His redheaded sister was always serious and angry, while the newly arrived girl was clearly the opposite: flamboyant and carefree.

"Milly Ashford, Ashford Academy's student council president is at your service! If you need anything, all you gotta do it ask!" she said with a blinding grin and a perky attitude. Kallen forced herself to smile, almost painfully from the looks of it. "Yeah, sure thing… Is that all? Also, isn't it Monday? Shouldn't you be in school?" she asked, probably hoping that it was. "Education always comes second to the well being of my loyal subjects, and of course that's not all! You think I would come alone? Bring in the team, Rivalz!"

One by one, five other people crowded into the room, all wearing school uniforms as well. One girl was in a wheelchair, and appeared to be blind. "Hey there Kallen! The whole student council is here to support you! I can't believe that a terrorist shot you! How'd that even happen?!" a boy with spiky blue hair asked in an overly blunt manner. Naoto assumed that he was Rivalz. Kallen sighed and replied, "I'll be alright, really. I think all I'll need is some time to fully heal. About getting shot… Well… I'd rather not talk about that right now… How did you all hear about this so quickly anyway?"

"I told them!" a squeaky voice said, standing in the far corner. Naoto knew exactly who it was. "Penny? How did you find out?" Kallen asked as she realized Penny was there. She sounded very comfortable talking to the light blue haired girl, which was nice to hear. "I was here last night to see Nina! I also helped your brother around. Why didn't you ever tell anyone that you had a brother?"

As the words left her mouth, the Kozuki's both gulped, and Milly raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Um… Hi. I'm Nathan," Naoto said as he waved, continuing the lie of the false name he had given to Penny. Milly approached him in a flash and stared him down, causing him to recoil into his chair out of fear.

"Well, he certainly looks like you Kallen… He's handsome too! I'll buy it!" she exclaimed with a high-pitched laugh. "Buy it?! You can't buy my brother!" Kallen exclaimed in return, oblivious to the figure of speech. As everyone laughed, Kallen couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. As she shuffled uncomfortably, a boy with black hair and radiant purple eyes approached her bed. He reached behind her and adjusted her pillow, causing her to smile.

"Listen everyone, you shouldn't tease her. She just got shot after all," he said with a disarming grin. Milly sighed and Rivalz nodded in agreement. Another one of the members, a girl with orange hair, blushed immensely. The last member, the girl in the wheelchair who had her eyes permanently shut, smiled like she had just heard the most beautiful song in the world.

The wheelchair-bound girl giggled with glee, instantly calming everyone present. "My big brother is so kind! He's right though, we should be nice to Kallen! Right, Shirley?" she said as she tugged on the orangette's jacket. Shirley nodded her head. "Absolutely Nunna, Lulu is right. Don't tease Kallen, Madame President! Haven't you heard that it's wrong to add insult to injury?!"

Once everyone looked at her in agreement, Milly began to pout. "Well, it's not my fault she couldn't understand a figure of speech because she's loopy on painkillers! Fine, sorry Kallen…" she reluctantly apologized, but only due to peer pressure. Kallen turned to "Lulu" and gave a gentle smile. "Thanks. How did you know I needed adjusting?"

The black haired boy gave a sly smirk as he rubbed the back of his head. "Just call it a caretaker's intuition. After taking care of Nunnally for all these years, you learn to pick up on these sorts of things," he said, causing Nunnally to giggle even more. "Big brother Lelouch is the best! He always takes good care of me!"

Naoto couldn't help but smile at that, although simply hearing the word "caretaker" put him on edge. This Lelouch person seemed like a pretty good guy. If he took care of Kallen in his stead, he could live with that. As long as he kept her away from trouble; as long as he kept her away from himself. With that in mind, Naoto stood up and began to leave the room. "Brother? Where are you going?" Kallen asked tiredly.

Naoto didn't turn back; he couldn't. "I have to go back home. I'll…" see you later, he wanted to say, but that would've been a lie. He quickly made his way out of the hospital through the way he came without saying goodbye to anyone. On the way to his van, he wiped away the few tears that made their way down his face.

After entering the van and making his way back to base as quickly as he could, his eyes widened in absolute terror. In front of the abandoned high school that served as his resistance's base, a massive Britannian transport truck was parked. "No… No!" he screamed, fearing that the Britannians had finally found them. If only he hadn't spent the night at Kallen's side, he could've been here to prepare for their arrival. For all he knew, they could all be dead already. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

"Naoto! Hey everybody, he's alive!" the resistance leader heard someone call out, just as a crowd of people emerged from the school. Tamaki immediately sprinted towards him and tackled him with a hug, crying like a child whose parents had finally found him after getting lost. "Naoto! Naoto! After you didn't return, we all thought you were dead!" he sobbed with tears of joy. Naoto groaned in reaction at the grown man's usual antics. Tamaki was an emotional and mental enigma he could never hope to understand. "Yes, I've returned, and in one piece at that. I'm sorry you guys, I spent the night at Kallen's side. She's doing fine by the way."

As everyone approached him, they all sighed with relief, and cheers of joy and laughter filled the air. Ohgi nearly crushed their leader in a hug, just as Yoshida approached with a black eye. "Yoshida?! What the hell happened?!" Naoto gasped, causing Tamaki to laugh nervously.

"Boss, after everyone thought you were dead, we sort of… blamed him? It was his idea after all!" Tamaki tried to explain. Naoto went to explain Hammurabi's Law to Tamaki with a punch in his own face, but Yoshida caught it mid air. "It's fine boss, really. Don't punish him for this."

As Naoto lowered his fist, he nearly vaporized Tamaki with a glare. "Okay, so you're all alive as well. What's with the truck then? Were we not invaded?" he asked. Just as he did so, two large dark skinned hands turned him around by his shoulders from behind. Now standing in front of Naoto was a large Indian man wearing a turban, as well as had a large black beard. "I suppose I've invaded you then!"

"Wait… What… Huh… What…" Naoto stuttered at the formidable, unexpected guest. Right behind the man, Oz and Zi poked out their heads. "Meet Ganabati! We told you about him before, remember? You agreed to let us move here with his truck!" Oz said with a mischievous smile. He was clearly enjoying Naoto's reaction, as was everyone else.

He was right, Oz did say something about this the previous day. Naoto sighed as everything started to make sense. "I see… Very well. Welcome to the resistance, Ganabati," Naoto said as he extended his hand. Ganabati grinned as he obliged, nearly crushing his hand in turn. "Yes, and I look forward to working with you as well. Now tell me, do you have any engineers or mechanics? I could use some help with tuning up my truck."

"Right here, buddy!" Tamaki called out. He was the best mechanic the resistance had, which was the only reason they kept his sorry ass around. After another overpowered handshake, the two men walked off to the truck. Now that he was free, Naoto got everyone else's attention. "Alright everyone, gather around. I have a plan…" he announced, eliciting an attentive stare from everyone present.

If Naoto was good for anything, it was making an elaborate plan. He almost had everything he needed, but once he did, nothing would stand in their way. He gave a toothy grin to the crowd, imagining the looks on those Britannian bastards' faces when they'll steal the "poison gas" right from under their noses. He was ready for this; he would save C.C. no matter what.


	7. Japan's Eleven

**Memory 7**  
**Japan's Eleven**

* * *

The tension was high while Naoto and Ohgi sat inside the van as it rolled along the streets of Tokyo. In this moment, the overwhelming sense of impending doom was higher than ever before in their relatively short lives. "Naoto… I don't think we should do this," Ohgi said as he drove the van. Naoto smiled, attempting to calm his second in command, even though he wasn't calm at all. "Don't worry buddy, we'll be fine. Just trust me on this, alright?" he attempted to reassure him, desperately trying to hold back the uncertainty in his voice.

Due to the fact that they were on their way to the Rosenberg Institute to free the "poison gas", or rather C.C., he was anxious. He had been in tricky situations before, but he always had a way of getting out. If they screwed up here, in the middle of enemy territory, they were totally screwed. Ohgi didn't look too happy about this either; his jaw was clenched shut, and his hands were desperately gripping the wheel at 10 and 2. Naoto couldn't blame him for his anxiety.

In the back of the van, the whole crew was anxious as well, but was prepared and ready. It had been two days since Oz and Zi first approached them, and in that time, they had gotten quite a lot done. When the trio of foreigners, Ganabati included, arrived in their Britannian transport truck the day after everything went down, it gave Naoto an idea. Initially, Ganabati argued against his plan, but after convincing him that he thought his home cooking was actually delicious, which it wasn't in the slightest, the robust Indian man finally allowed them to utilize his truck for the mission.

Not to Naoto's knowledge until he was actually invited inside the vehicle, Oz even had a functioning red Glasgow sitting in the back of the truck. In a more secluded area of the ghetto, Oz allowed him to test it out as an apprehensive show of good faith. It was a little tricky at first, but after a few minutes, he realized that it was actually pretty easy to get a hold of. After all, the controls were designed for ease of use for all military personnel, including first time pilots. With the confidence that he could now pilot a Knightmare, he felt better about taking on the enemy should the situation go south.

Later in the day, Naoto met with Doctor Fenette on his break just as they had planned. He received a set of off-white guard uniforms and matching hats from the doctor after he asked for them, which Naoto promised were going to be put to good use. Afterwards, he checked on Kallen through the window of her room.

He was glad to see that she had friends from school to show up and support her, since he couldn't do so himself. He blamed his lifestyle for her injury, no matter if the Caretaker made it appear as though the decision to bring her along was the right thing to do. He promised her on that day that he would never show his face around her ever again after she recovered, and he meant it.

With the uniforms he procured, everyone inside the van was now in disguise. While wearing them, they were fully capable of sneaking in undetected, at least in theory. Right behind the van, Nagata was driving the Britannian transporter. His destination was to park near the Institute and await the order to move in and retrieve the poison gas canister when it was procured.

Once they were only a few blocks away from their target, Naoto slid open the divider and looked in the back. The main crew was all there, including Oz and Zi, but excluding Nagata. Along with their disguises, they all wore faces of terror.

"Listen up, we're almost there. We've been through tough circumstances before, and this is no different. I know that we can handle this, so just follow my lead, alright?" Naoto attempted to reassure them. "Yeah right, this is nothing like we've done before! We're totally screwed!" Tamaki groaned in response. It was clear that everyone else felt the same way to some extent, albeit unwilling to express their unease. Naoto wanted to prove to them that they could handle the situation, but he was terrified as well. It only seemed normal to be scared, so he didn't feel any shame.

"Listen… If you follow my lead, everything is gonna be fine. Ohgi and I will go in first to check things out, and it might take a while, so just wait in here until we return," Naoto said with a forced grin. It didn't do much to boost morale, but at least he tried.

"Hey, Boss… We're here," Ohgi said with a grim tone and expression. Sure enough, the tall white building towered before them, menacing and hostile, even though it was almost entirely just a simple hospital. Naoto felt his heart stop as Ohgi turned into the parking lot and parked the van.

With a long, deep breath, Naoto opened the door. "Let's go Ohgi. Let's get this over with," he declared with forced confidence. "Right," Ohgi replied, before casually walking to the building's back door with Naoto. They wanted to avoid suspicion from the security, so blending in with the workers at the cargo bay seemed like the best idea; this was the reason for the disguises. With as much supplies as they received for the facility on a regular basis, the Rosenberg Institute certainly required this rear entrance.

After making their way into the back of the bay while avoiding the attention of the other workers, they entered the rear access doors into a pristine white hallway that led straight to the lobby. Luckily, they were able to avoid the security before entering the elevator that Oz told them to use.

"And now, we wait," Naoto said, impatiently standing at the doors. They needed one last thing to make this work: the key, in the form of the doctor. Looking at his watch, his greatest fears took over. The doctor wasn't going to show up. It was all a set up. In moments, they were going to get caught. The security was in plain sight, and the doctor was probably alerting the security to their presence at this very moment.

"Hey there you two. Just in time," a man said from behind them. Naoto whipped his head around, his skin pale as he stared at Doctor Fenette. "Well it took you long enough! Do you want this whole plan to fall apart?!" Naoto whispered in anger.

"Relax… Bartley isn't scheduled to show up today, so we're in the clear. Come on, let's go before we get caught by the guards," he stated before leading the two terrorists into the elevator. Just as the doctor cleared the security check and the doors began to close, however, Naoto looked through the crack. Across the lobby, staring directly at him, was a confused girl with light blue hair and a phone in her hands. Naoto sighed as he realized their first mistake. "Oh… shit…"

* * *

As the doors across the lobby closed shut, Penny furrowed her brows. "FLEIJA? How did you know?" she said to her device. As she held the phone in front of her, the screen generated an animated woman's face. Penny was proud that her creation had not only created a personality for itself, but had evolved to create a face as well. "I was calculating the possibilities for why Nathan wouldn't be discussed by Kallen in public. Your classmate appears to look up to him, thus it seems strange that she would keep him a secret."

Penny scowled even further. "But a Japanese terrorist?! I still don't believe it, he's so nice! Plus, Kallen isn't even Japanese!" Penny argued. "On the contrary. Kallen Stadtfeld is half Japanese," FLEIJA replied, causing Penny's eyes to widen even further, before she proceeded to whisper, "What?!"

"Should I explain the subtle physical markers that are common among the Japanese population? I found them on the internet. Kallen Stadtfeld has several, according to what I've seen on the security feed," FLEIJA said nonchalantly. Again, Penny's eyes widened, this time in fear. She ran out the front doors and started walking away from the building, clutching the phone to her chest. "Penny? What's wrong?" FLEIJA asked while muffled.

"What's wrong?!" Penny started as she released the device, "What's wrong is that you revealed something in public that you really shouldn't have! Nobody can know that you've hacked their security mainframe!" she nervously explained. The avatar blinked, unfazed by her outburst. "I know. I adjusted my volume level just enough as to avoid being heard by anyone else. Is that good enough?"

Once Penny found a bench under a nearby tree, she sat down and groaned. Technically, since she created FLEIJA, it was she who was responsible for hacking the security cameras of the Rosenberg Institute. She had no idea that her creation would eventually become capable of creating its own malware and decryption software on its own. She was smart enough that she could do that herself if she wanted to, but the fact that FLEIJA could do this as well crossed a line, and there was little she could do to stop it other than deactivate her greatest creation.

"Listen, I thought it was cool at first that you could do all this, I really did! I want to let you explore your own capabilities, but you shouldn't break any laws anymore! Deactivate your connection to the security system while you're at it. Understood?" Penny berated the device with her squeaky voice. "Yes Penny, I understand," the device replied.

* * *

Inside the van, the crew shook in their seats, wondering if the end was near. "Oh man, we're totally screwed! It's been, like, an hour since they left!" Tamaki cried out, causing everyone present to "shush" him.

"Shut up Tamaki, it's only been a few minutes! Naoto said it'll take a while, so just have a little faith!" Inoue barked at the brown haired neurotic man. Tamaki growled and cried at the same time. "No, you shut up! I don't wanna die! Somebody get it the drivers seat and- Wah!"

As Tamaki rambled on, the back doors to the van were yanked open, revealing Naoto and Ohgi. "You guys are up. Let's go," Naoto ordered before leading them to the back entrance. Naoto seemed entirely confident, which was enough for them.

"Hey Boss, anything we should know?" asked Minami, always looking for more details. Naoto nodded. "Nothing for now. All I'll say is that we should handle this as cleanly and quickly as possible."

Once they reached the back entrance, the crowd of disguised terrorists immediately raised some suspicion in the guards. "Oh, are you the next shift? Isn't it kind of early?" one of the workers inquired. As the group approached the Institute employees, Naoto smirked. "Actually, no. We're the reason you have guards in the first place."

"Wait, what?" were the man's last words, before Naoto kicked his knee out, reached up and snapped his neck. Simultaneously, the other members did the same, killing the whole group of employees in a single moment, silent and lightning-fast. After Yoshida killed his mark, he stepped back in thought. "So, now what? Where do we put them?"

"Just lean them up in the corner over there. Stay here with Sugiyama and keep a lookout. If anything unexpected happens, just contact us," Naoto said as he pulled out his radio. Yoshida and Sugiyama nodded.

After everyone helped move the bodies of the recently deceased guards, the two men positioned themselves to watch the area. Naoto then took a large rolling cart from the bay and pushed it through the backdoor, along with the rest of the group. Standing just inside the building was the doctor, awaiting their return. "Jesus… I wish I didn't see that… Did you have to kill them?" he groaned. "I'm sorry Doc, but they were in our way, so we didn't have much of a choice. Alright Oz, now it's your turn," Naoto said. Oz looked uncomfortable, but he had no choice at this point. "Alright then… I hope this works."

Oz pulled off his disguise and revealed his usual clothes, albeit without the pauldrons. He sprinted out to a guard that was posted in the middle of the lobby and slapped him on the back of the head. "Hey there, it's been a while!"

All at once, the guards in the room started yelling and chasing Oz out of the lobby's front door. "Boss, won't they catch him?" Inoue asked. Zi spoke up instead, "Nah, they can't catch a guy if they can't see him…" he said with a snicker. Everyone looked at each other in confusion as to what that implied, but they decided to ignore it. They needed a decoy for the guards, and Naoto volunteered Oz, much to the foreigner's displeasure. He had to give him the worst job of all, as punishment for getting them into this mess and hiding the truth about C.C. and her reason for being captured.

"Never mind this, we have to get to work. Doctor?" Naoto said with a stern look. The doctor led them into the large elevator, which Naoto had previously noticed was fairly large. It made sense, otherwise they couldn't have moved the equipment to the various floors in the first place. The doctor passed the security check and the lift started to go up.

Once it dinged, ending its terrible music, they stormed out and down the hall. "It's in here guys. Zi, Ohgi, try pushing from the other side, and we'll pull it from here," Naoto commanded. The capsule that contained the "poison gas" was resting to the side of the room, terrifying with it's supposed contents for the rest of the group who didn't know the truth. Luckily enough, six people were enough to lift and push the large capsule onto the cart they had brought.

"Alright Ohgi, call him in," Naoto said. "Right," Ohgi replied before pulling out his radio. "Nagata, it's Ohgi. The package has been retrieved, I repeat, the package has been retrieved. We are awaiting extraction, over," he said with a serious tone. "Alright, I'm coming in, just hang tight. Over and out," Nagata replied, loud enough for all to hear.

After Nagata hung up, the group helped push the capsule into the elevator. Meanwhile, Ohgi tied up and left the doctor behind to make it look like he was a victim. Once Ohgi returned, they all headed inside the elevator. Again, there was crappy music. Once they reached the bottom and exited into the cargo bay, Nagata was already waiting with Ganabati's truck. He opened the side door and allowed them to push the capsule into Ganabati's living room, quick and easy.

"Alright! Mission's almost over. You guys get to the van and go home, and I'll stick with Nagata on the way back," Naoto said to the group. Tamaki threw his arms out in protest. "Hey, now wait just a minute! Why can't we come with you?! You need backup!"

"And if we get caught?" Naoto quickly asked, stepping closer to the overly emotional man that continued to get on his nerves. "Do you know what would happen if we all get caught? I'll tell you: we all die. If that happens, this resistance is dead, and I won't have that. Now go, Tamaki, and make sure you all survive," Naoto ordered. Without another word, the redheaded boss turned and entered the truck with Nagata, leaving the rest behind.

* * *

"If he's a terrorist, then what is he planning to do?! He seems so nice…" Penny asked herself as she sat on the bench. As she began to wonder what this meant for Kallen, FLEIJA lit up.

"I don't know what to make of this. It appears that I may have been mistaken," FLEIJA said. "Really? Well I suppose you're capable of mistakes; it just means that you're trying for answers beyond your logic processors. What's wrong?"

"I did not consider it relevant until now, but the entire 24th floor has been disconnected from the security feed, as well as the third elevator. Something is, or was, hidden there. A capsule of some kind. It appears that Nathan and a group of people have stolen it," FLEIJA said, prompting Penny to answer, "Hey! I told you to disconnect! Anyway, they… stole something? What did they-"

As Penny started to reply, a sound that she could only describe as the apocalypse blasted from high above her. It was a roar, as loud as several dozens of car crashes all at once. "Nina!" Penny screamed as she stared up at the building, as a large billow of smoke rose from the 24th floor.

* * *

"Dude, that was awesome! The look on that noble's face when you moved your king first… Hey, why did you do that anyway?" Rivalz asked as he walked backwards out of the front door of a casino. In his hand was a briefcase full of crowns, won by the chess master standing before him. "If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow?" his friend replied.

Lelouch Lamperouge, the student council vice president at Ashford Academy, spoke eloquently in a sophisticated tone, with grace and an air of aristocracy. Not only was he a model citizen, but he was also an underground chess master who gambled with pompous nobles, taking their money while humiliating them.

"If the king doesn't lead, huh? It kinda sounds like you want to be a king," Rivalz said as he tossed the briefcase into the back of the sidecar attached to his navy blue motorcycle. Before Lelouch could respond, the massive television on the building across the highway lit up.

On the screen was the viceroy, Prince Clovis la Britannia, dressed in his royal garbs with a dark scowl on his face. Lelouch scowled back. "Loyal citizens of Area 11!" Clovis began, "I bring you this announcement with a shattered heart and a broken soul!"

As the prince spoke, he clutched his heart in his hand. A gesture purely for the sake of optics, Lelouch knew this tactic well. Finding unique ways of manipulating people's emotions was key to being a successful leader. Rivalz was right about him: he wanted to lead.

"Only moments ago, terrorists have attacked a medical facility in our fair and righteous settlement! These monsters will pay for what they've done, I assure you this!" he called out in rage, tears streaming down his face in mourning. Impressive, for even Lelouch couldn't pull that off: crying on command.

The look on Rivalz's face said it all; the common people were eating out of his hand. Prince Clovis may have been a flamboyant, narcissistic blemish on the face of society, but he sure as hell had a skill for selling anything to the people of Britannia. "Now, while our brave men and women in the military hunt down these monstrous criminals, I ask for you to take a moment of silence with me for the lives we have lost…" Clovis said before tilting his head down with a sorrowful expression.

While Rivalz placed his hand over his heart in silence as well, Lelouch sighed and hopped into the sidecar, adjusting the briefcase next to him. He pulled out his copy of "Dante's Inferno", turned to the bookmarked page, and started to read with his jaw rested on his fist.

After a few moments, Clovis spoke up again. "Thank you all for joining me. I can only ask that you continue to think about our brave soldiers and law enforcement officers as they bring these monsters to justice! All hail Britannia!" he exclaimed, before the screen returned to the daily propaganda.

Almost immediately, Rivalz turned to Lelouch with a scowl. "Seriously! You could've at least joined in the moment of silence!" he barked as he walked over and straddled the vehicle, proceeding to put on his helmet.

"There's no point. Silence won't bring them back, but creating meaningful change will ensure that it doesn't happen again. People seem to forget that preventative measures are worthwhile," Lelouch answered. As Rivalz started the engine and began driving down the road, he sighed and groaned. "Lelouch, there is a point! You should at least show that you care!"

"I do care. It's terrible that they died," Lelouch answered without any show of emotion. "Oh yeah? Well… you're not showing it!" Rivalz replied in anger. "Do I have to?" Lelouch quickly replied in turn, still without emotion. With a stomp on the brakes, the motorcycle stopped in the middle of the empty road, causing Lelouch's book to go flying out of his hands. "Rivalz?! What the hell?!"

Quicker than he could've prepared for, Rivalz leaned over at him with an angry scowl. "Lelouch! You're my best friend in the whole world, but you have to stop acting like a jerk!" he yelled as he repeatedly poked him in the chest. He sat back up in his seat, drove over to the book, and let Lelouch lean out of the sidecar to pick it up.

As they continued down the road, Lelouch was caught in a daze. "Rivalz? You alright buddy?" he said with concern. Rivalz never took his eyes off the road. "Yeah, I'm sorry Lelouch… I've just been… agitated," he admitted. Lelouch scoffed as he reopened his book and found his page. "Yeah, clearly. What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Ugh… Isn't it obvious?" Rivalz mumbled. Lelouch immediately knew the answer. "Ah… Milly," he answered. It was obvious; Millicent Ashford, the president of the student council of Ashford Academy, as well as heiress to the Ashford family, was the apple of Rivalz's eye. Despite her family's bad reputation for being a possible reason for Empress Marianne's assassination over 7 years prior, Rivalz still loved the blonde bombshell. It was hard not to since she was a beautiful, positive, energetic bundle of positivity, even from Lelouch's perspective.

"What should I do man… It's just that… the way you are with Kallen Stadtfeld when we visit her in the hospital… How do you do it?" Rivalz asked. Lelouch shifted in his seat. "I don't know what you're talking about? I'm just being nice to her, that's all…" he said as he continued to read his book.

"Damnit Lelouch, you're not just nice to her! You're… flirting with her… Every time you fix her pillow, let alone when you enter the room! Half the school feels this way about you, while I can't even… I can't… even…"

As Rivalz began to sob, the motorcycle swerved into the neighboring lane, just as a military transport truck was passing by. "Rivalz, watch out!" Lelouch screamed. With no time to spare, Rivalz swerved back into their lane as hard as he could.

With a loud, ear shattering screech, the truck swerved into a building under construction to their left, creating a plume of dust that consumed the massive vehicle. Rivalz instinctively pulled over. "Holy crap! Did I do that?! Oh man…" he rattled off as he witnessed the crash site.

From an opening into the sub level of the settlement, a crowd of people rushed over to start taking pictures. "Oh man, this is crazy! What happened?!" one man asked. "I don't know! Shouldn't someone go see if they're okay?" a woman replied.

"Oh man, oh man…" Rivalz repeated, rocking back and forth in his seat. Lelouch wouldn't put up with this. "Rivalz, you want to be more like me, right?" Lelouch asked, to which Rivalz nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I do! I don't want to be a screw up! I don't want people to look down on me! I… I want to be like you!" he declared with tears in his eyes. If there was anything Lelouch truly valued in his best friend, it was his ability to keep going, even when circumstances were dire.

Lelouch took off his helmet and placed it in the sidecar as he hopped out. "If you want to be like me, then let's go. Those people probably need help, so let's make sure that they're okay. We'll do it together," Lelouch said with a disarming smile. Rivalz tossed his helmet into the sidecar, wiped his eyes, and then put on a serious scowl as he got off the vehicle and stood before him. "Right!" he answered enthusiastically.

Together, the two ran over to the crashed truck and started scouting it out. It didn't seem right to leave Rivalz out of assessing his own mess, and after all, his own quote spoke to him. If the king doesn't lead, he can't expect his subjects to follow. While he wasn't a king and Rivalz wasn't his subject, he still felt obligated to lead his friend to a better life. It felt natural, and it felt right. It felt like this was the way that things ought to be.

"Hey buddy, I can't get to the driver from here! How do you suppose we reach them?" Rivalz called out from the front end, which was currently buried in debris. "Let's try getting inside from the top. How does that sound?" Lelouch replied. After finding the external ladder that led to the roof access, they climbed up one after the other and peered in over the edge. "Hey! You need help in there?!"

* * *

"Uhh… Damnit… Nagata, what the hell was that?!" Naoto groaned as he regained his composure after the crash. Everything went as expected; he knew they would somehow be followed by the cops, no matter how well they hid their actions. What he didn't expect was the explosion after they left the building.

As soon as the Institute was no longer in view, the sound of the explosion was hard to miss. Someone planted a bomb, not on his orders, and it ended up destroying the experimentation room. He assumed that if it really was a bomb, it ignited every flammable substance within its radius, and in a hospital, there were a lot of potentially explosive fuel sources.

After shaking him a bit, Nagata finally woke up. "Ugh, Boss… why did they have to swerve like that…" he groaned in pain. He was right; there was a motorcycle that swerved into their path and threw them off. Talk about bad timing, especially when the cops were already tracking them with the military on the lookout.

Naoto shook his head of any remaining grogginess. "We gotta keep our heads straight. Just get us to Yokohama so that we can get rid of this thing and be finished," Naoto said. "Right, good idea," Nagata replied as he shifted into reverse. The truck lurched backwards, its wheels screeching as it rolled back at full speed onto the highway. After continuing forward, a voice from a loudspeaker began speaking from up above them.

"Halt at once! This is the police! Pull over now or you will be shot on sight!" the voice boomed, coming from a VTOL aircraft flying overhead. Without warning, bullets started pelting the top of the vehicle, poking holes in its hull. "Well, Ganabati's gonna be pissed with that… Nagata, you take care of this, and I'll take care of them," Naoto said with a grin. "You'll take care of the cops? How? What are you gonna do?"

As Naoto walked into the cargo compartment, he looked back at the driver with a devilish grin. "I'm gonna have some fun, that's what I'm gonna do," he replied with a playful grin. As he jogged down the stepladder and across the floor, he pulled off his Institute guard uniform and tossed it aside onto the poison gas canister. He pulled his signature headband out of the pitch-black jacket he wore underneath and put it on, then rolled up his sleeves in preparation. "You wanna know the real reason why I came with you?" he questioned Nagata.

With a few quick movements, Naoto scaled the ladder to the red Glasgow, kicked open the cockpit and jumped inside. He turned the key, activating the Yggdrasil Drive deep within the behemoth weapon of mass destruction. The display lit up, showing a layout of the local area in blue and white. "This, Nagata… is the reason I'm here. Open up the back hatch! Let's show these bastards a good time!"

As soon as the hatch started to open, Naoto pushed a button on the right handle, moved the cursor on the screen, and released. In an instant, a slash harken harpoon launched from the Knightmare's shoulder, penetrating the VTOL aircraft that was following them. In a fiery explosion, the hunk of metal crashed onto the highway.

"A Knightmare?!" a second VTOL exclaimed through its loudspeaker. "You're goddamn right it is! You know exactly what this motherfucker can do!" Naoto yelled, before jumping out onto the highway on its landspinners.

* * *

"Okay… We're still alive… right?! No, not right! Oh man, we're so dead!" Rivalz whimpered as he hid behind the giant metallic capsule with Lelouch. After the vehicle had backed up, they were both thrown in with it. When the redheaded man came through, who seemed oddly familiar, they had only one place to hide. It was clear at this point that these people were terrorists. Lelouch looked through the uniform jacket the man had discarded and pulled out a portable radio, and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Rivalz, just stay calm, okay? We'll get through this somehow…" Lelouch reassured him, though he wasn't entirely sure if they would actually survive. Behind them, explosions were going off constantly, as though a second KMF had entered the battle.

"Oh… no! Shit!" a voice cried out, before Rivalz tackled Lelouch to the floor. Apparently it was just in time, as massive rifle rounds pierced through the vehicle like a hot knife through butter. The truck began to swerve, before making a hard left into a tunnel.

"Rivalz… you saved my life," Lelouch said with amazement. Rivalz knelt back and put both hands on his knees. "Heh… Thank my instincts to duck and cover when someone yells 'Oh no! Shit!'" he nervously laughed.

"Well, thanks anyway. Now we just have to find out where we-" Lelouch started to say, before the truck crashed again. For some unknown reason, the side door began to open as well, revealing the fact that they were in an underground tunnel, and the front end of the vehicle got stuck in a massive pothole. "Lelouch, now is our chance! Let's ditch this place!" Rivalz pleaded as he started to get out. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get away from this thing before-"

"Terrorist scum!" someone outside the vehicle screamed, effectively cutting Lelouch off. All of a sudden, a Britannian soldier started sprinting towards them. He leapt up, spun around through the air and kicked Lelouch deeper into the truck, ignoring Rivalz for the time being. The soldier placed himself between the students and the canister, before pulling out his pistol, ready to fire. "How could you?! Poison gas?! You plan on using something as despicable as this?!" he roared.

Lelouch scowled as he fixed his uniform. "So, that's what this is? If we were terrorists, or had anything to do with this at all, then why would we be bringing it away from Tokyo?! The answer is this… Britannia is to blame! It has always been to blame! You're to blame as well!"

"Wait… You're…" the soldier began to say, but Lelouch continued regardless. "It isn't the terrorists that are scum… it's Britannia itself!" Lelouch declared, before walking out of the shadows and into the light. His purple eyes burned with vigor and vengeance, as he placed himself between Rivalz and the soldier. Rivalz appeared to be confused by what his best friend had just said, but he was smart enough to understand his logic. The terrorists didn't plan to use this; they were taking it away.

Unexpectedly, the soldier holstered his weapon and pulled off his helmet and gas mask. "Lelouch… it's me, Suzaku," he said. Underneath the helmet was a head of wavy brown hair and emerald green eyes. Rivalz raised an eyebrow, but Lelouch stared in disbelief. "Suzaku? How… Wait, why are you… I don't understand…"

"Oh, yeah, I suppose you're right, this is pretty strange… I'll explain it to you later, if I get the chance. In the meantime, why are you here?" Suzaku asked, before Rivalz tugged on Lelouch's sleeve. "Uh, guys? The capsule is doing something!"

The two reunited friends turned to Rivalz, who was pointing at the capsule in fear, before they looked at the object themselves. Sure enough, it appeared that certain pipes had been busted during the collision, and it was starting to open up. "Lelouch!" Suzaku yelled, before tackling Lelouch to the ground and placed his gas mask over his face.

With the release of a cloud of steam, each valve began to pop open, before the petals of the capsule all folded outwards all at once. A blinding golden light enveloped the immediate area, as a warm blast of air washed over them. Rivalz and Suzaku closed their eyes in fear, but for Lelouch, he wasn't afraid. He had a front row view of what was really in the capsule: nothing. The capsule was empty.

Lelouch pushed Suzaku off of him, stood up, and peered into the container. There was nothing. No gas, no weapon, nothing at all. He could only voice his confusion before turning back to his friends, "Wait… What?"


	8. Find The Lady

**Memory 8**  
**Find The Lady**

* * *

"Oh… shit…" Naoto sighed as the elevator doors closed. As the lift began to ascend, he turned to Ohgi and the doctor. "Naoto? What's wrong? What did you see?" Ohgi asked, to which Naoto shook his head. "It's nothing Ohgi, nothing at all," he lied.

On the way up, while still subjected to listening to the crappy elevator music, Naoto had to ask the question that had repeatedly scratched at the back of his mind. "Alright Doc, listen… What is up with this music? I thought Britannian music was bad, but this is just…" Naoto asked, and Ohgi nodded in agreement. "Ah… About that… I looked into it myself, and it appears that there's a jamming device built in to the speakers. What you're listening to is what ruined Oz's initial mission in the first place," the doctor replied with groan.

Silence took over, before Naoto thrust his palm into his forehead and groaned as well. "And here I was, thinking I couldn't hate this shit music any more than I already did…" he sighed. Soon enough, the elevator dinged, opening up to an empty floor. "Hey Doc, where's the rest of your team?" Naoto asked. "Oh, I told them to take the day off… they know exactly what's going on, but hate what we're doing to C.C. just as much as I do. Come on, she's this way."

After walking down the hall and into the containment room, they were met with a young woman with long, bright green hair and golden eyes, who was wearing a buttoned up lab coat, sitting in a chair by herself. It was apparent that the good doctor released her prior to their arrival. "Ah, I suppose that this is my new cavalry. Hopefully you're better at saving me than the other guy," she said with a sardonic tone.

"Don't worry ma'am, we'll get you out of here safe and sound. Right Naoto?" Ohgi replied, to which Naoto nodded, before giving C.C. a reassuring grin. She clearly wasn't impressed. "Please, why are you young men always so confident in yourselves in the face of certain failure? Really, I'll never know. I guess it's not like I can place my trust in anyone else right now anyway. So, what's your plan?" she replied with a cold tone.

Of course she had to have an attitude. Naoto had a feeling that she and Kallen wouldn't like each other very much. "Alright, here's the plan. We're going to use the capsule as a decoy," Naoto revealed. "A decoy?" C.C. replied, almost sounding intrigued. The doctor stepped forward and continued. "We three discussed it beforehand. They'll take the capsule straight to Yokohama, sell it to the cartel, and then let the Britannians follow them to their base in China. Isn't that right, Naoto?" the doctor said.

"Absolutely. We save you, stop Britannia's plans, and start a war between Clovis and the refrain dealers all at the same time. After that, I go home to Shinjuku and pass out with some saké. Ain't that right, Ohgi?" Naoto asked his friend. "Yeah man, just… don't drink as much as last time. No one wants to clean up after you again," Ohgi replied with a sigh, most likely recalling a bad memory.

C.C. crossed her arms. "Very well, it sounds like an okay plan, but how do you know you won't get caught before you reach the harbor?" she asked. Naoto shrugged as he started walking towards the hallway. "My theory is that they're expecting us to rescue you. Instead of capturing us right away, they plan on following the capsule itself straight to our base to snuff out the resistance completely."

C.C. nodded as she followed along with the others. "You're assuming that they'd actually bother going through all this just to catch your whole group. To risk losing me would be very stupid indeed," she said bluntly.

The three men sighed as they reached the middle of the hallway. "Miss, you clearly have no idea how dumb the Britannian military can be, especially when led by Prince Clovis. I'd imagine they have more confidence in themselves than the emperor himself. For them, the option that reaps the most rewards is the only option," Ohgi said, to which the other men nodded.

"Look, we're going to get you out of here. Just hide in this room for now. The doctor here will lead the way when the time comes," Naoto said as he opened the door for the immortal woman into the experimentation room. As curious as he was about her immortality, he had no time for questions of his own at this moment. Once she was hidden inside, Naoto, Ohgi and Doctor Joseph entered the elevator and collectively grunted, subjected to the sound of the music once again.

* * *

As soon as the men left, C.C. curled herself up into a ball, sitting with her back to the wall. While her confidence in the men was low, her wish to end this experience after these 5 long days was high. More often than not, the experiments involved electrocution, which was never fun. They attempted to do brain surgery, but she regenerated too fast for them to gather any groundbreaking data. She wished she could've shared her own findings with them, but it wouldn't have helped in the slightest.

They found nothing. She found nothing. Her attempts to solve the mystery of Code had gone unanswered her whole life. If she had to be honest, she actually wished that they'd found something useful, but no, she would continue to live in wonder of the machinations of her immortal soul.

At least she wasn't alone. Standing before her now was the ethereal form of Marianne, who looked both relieved and furious; C.C. wondered how she managed to pull that off. "C.C.! Are you finally free?! I swear, Peace Mark has been a thorn in our side for years, yet only now they've proven to be incompetent! You should've been released days ago!"

"Peace Mark? Ah, that explains why Orpheus called himself an agent… and I can see that he has no idea who I am. I'm curious as to how you employed them?" C.C. asked. She did indeed know who he was, but she couldn't understand why he didn't recognize her. She decided that it was for the best that he didn't remember.

Marianne chuckled at her question. "Oh dear, I'm a lot more clever than you think. You certainly don't believe that Lelouch got that aspect from his father… I used Anya, and contacted those nuisances by giving a message to one of their agents that we had been interrogating in the Middle East. After releasing him back to his superiors, I suppose he successfully relayed the mission request to his organization."

C.C. scoffed. Peace Mark was a global terrorist organization aimed directly at Britannia, so the fact that they barely bothered to save her from Britannia was an insult. She knew her own importance. She was certainly more important than most issues those shadow huggers dealt with on a regular basis.

"You're clever Marianne, but not that clever. Did you tip off the Order?" C.C. asked with concern. Marianne looked at her like she had grown a third arm. "Really?! You actually think that I would get caught! I'm insulted!"

C.C. sighed in aggravation. "Marianne, why do you still underestimate V.V.? You should know that he's more of a threat than you believe," she said with a deadpan stare. Marianne put her hands on her ghostly hips and pouted. "You really have no confidence in me, do you?" the transparent figure rhetorically stated.

C.C. cocked her head to the side in thought, but before she had to reply, a loud "ding" came from the elevator. As the doors opened, a group of disguised resistance members flooded the hallway, charging right past C.C.'s room and into the containment area. Before she attempted to leave, believing it to be her queue, Joseph poked his head into the room. "Not yet," he whispered, before closing the door and followed along with the group.

"C.C.? What is it? Don't tell me that you've been found again…" Marianne groaned. C.C. shook her head in reply, before waiting for the group to emerge and leave with the container. Once they did, she waited for the doctor to come and get her, and after a few moments, the door opened. "C.C., it's time to go. Come on!" Joseph whispered.

After standing up and following him out the door, Marianne waved goodbye and dissipated into the air. They boarded the elevator and listened to the god-awful music on the way down, hopefully for the last time.

Unfortunately, there was an even worse sound to deal with. When they were only halfway to the lobby, an explosion rocked the floor that they had just come from. The cables of the elevator snapped, letting it free fall to the ground below. Luckily, the emergency brakes were activated, grinding the elevator to a halt.

"What the hell was that?!" Joseph exclaimed as red emergency lights filled the small room. He pressed the button to open the elevator doors, but they wouldn't budge. C.C. slumped to the ground, half expecting this to happen. She was trapped, and now waited for her recapture once again.

* * *

"Nina!" Penny screamed as she stared up at the building, where smoke was billowing from the 24th floor. As her knees buckled under her in grief, FLEIJA lit up. "If you believe that Nina was killed in the blast, there is no reason to be alarmed. Only floors 23 through 25 have been affected by the detonation. According to security cameras, she remains unconscious in her bed, unharmed."

Penny's bright eyes lit up as she received the news. "Really?! Oh, that's wonderful! But what caused the blast? Don't tell me… Was it Nathan? If he did this…" Penny wondered with concern. "I'm not certain, but it is highly probable that he had something to do with this. If you want answers, perhaps you should seek out Doctor Fenette," FLEIJA answered, causing Penny to scowl in confusion. "Wait, Shirley's dad? Why?"

As she stood on the sidewalk in front of the building, a wave of people, patients and personnel alike, were all running for their lives. Penny would've ran too if she wasn't already frozen in fear. "Penny, I believe the only chance to have your answer is to go inside."

Penny held up the phone and puffed up her cheeks with a scowl. "You're malfunctioning," she stated matter-of-factly. "Am I? Excuse me as I run a self-diagnosis… Complete. I am not malfunctioning. The doctor is trapped in an elevator with an unknown individual."

At this, Penny groaned. "FLEIJA, don't tell me that I should save them! I can't run into a building that just exploded!" she proclaimed. "Yes, you can," FLEIJA replied. "No, I can't!" Penny argued.

The girl and her phone stared at each other in a heated confrontation, confusing every person that ran by them. Staring matches with electronics during a terrorist attack weren't exactly considered normal. Eventually, the device had won against her.

"Ugh, fine! I'll go, but I don't know what to do! I need your help," Penny pouted as she started jogging towards the building. She pulled out a case of wireless ear buds and placed them in her ears as she put the phone away in her bag. Almost immediately, FLEIJA's voice came through in her ears. "The elevator compartment is trapped on the 4th floor. You'll need a crowbar to open the jammed doors, which you'll find in a utilities closet down the hall from where the doctor is trapped."

"Got it!" Penny said as she started jogging faster, steeling her resolve. After she climbed the stairwell and grabbed the crowbar from the closet, she approached the elevator and listened. "Help! Somebody, let us out!" the doctor yelled, muffled by the steel doors. "Alright Penny… lets do this!" she told herself, before jamming one end of bar into the divide between the doors. With a high-pitched grunt, she pushed the bar as hard as she could. Once a gap had been made, she looked inside to see the doctor and a green haired girl in a lab coat.

"Miss Turing?! Oh, am I glad to see you! Come on, help us open it the rest of the way!" Joseph exclaimed. Once Penny, Joseph and the mystery girl all put their backs into it, the door opened all the way. The two climbed out and sighed a breath of relief.

"Hah… That was tough! So, who's this?" Penny said as she addressed the doctor. Joseph remained silent, but the girl spoke up. "My name is Cecaniah. I'm a new patient here at the Institute. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Liar. If she were admitted recently, FLEIJA would've known who she was. Unfortunately, this wasn't the place or time to press for the truth. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. Perhaps we should get going?" Penny said as she started moving towards the stairwell. She planned on getting some answers later on, but for now, safety came first. The other two followed along closely until they reached the lobby.

Once they were in a massive crowd of people, the doctor and Cecaniah pulled the tops of their coats over their heads and faces for some reason. Penny assumed that they must have been trying to hide, and decided that she would have to ask them why when she had the chance.

Once they were further down the street, fire engines and police cars drove by, along with three police-issue Knightmares. Penny and the doctor bent over to catch their breath after running from the building, while the green haired girl stood completely unfazed.

"Alright Doc, spill it! What was on that floor?! Why is a patient wearing a lab coat?! Who is she really?!" Penny squeaked out as she pointed at the older man's nose. "Wait, what?! Uh… Why should I know?!" he said as he put his hands up in defense, before Cecaniah stepped between them. "So, you're just as curious as we are, huh? Perhaps you'd like to explain how you found us?"

Penny stammered. "I… I heard your cries for help!" she said with pink tinted cheeks. Cecaniah smirked. "Oh really? Of all the people to save us, it was you? How about you tell the truth?" Cecaniah prodded, and Penny stammered again. "That's… not fair! I asked first!" she exclaimed as she stomped her foot. Cecaniah proceeded to ruffle her light blue hair and giggled. Penny couldn't tell the truth; it just wasn't fair. "Then I guess I'll be on my way. Thank you Joseph for taking such good care of me."

"Yes, of course… Cecaniah," he said, before the verdette girl ran away. It was as if her stamina was limitless as she ran, certainly not something Penny could keep up with. She wanted to know who she was, even if she was unpleasant. "Dr. Fenette, what happened? I know you know something, so please, tell the truth!"

As he stared into her eyes, Joseph gulped. Her puppy dog eyes were convincing, but it seemed that he could handle them. "Listen kiddo, the truth is that I really don't know what happened…" he said. "Than what about Nathan?" Penny asked, to which Joseph's eyes widened. "Nathan? You mean… Kallen's older brother! He's probably back at his home, doing whatever it is that he…"

"Don't lie, Dr. Fenette. We know the truth," an electronic voice stated from Penny's bag. Penny pulled out her phone and held it in front of her, facing the doctor. "The man known as Nathan Stadtfeld is a terrorist, and is possibly responsible for today's attack. We saw him enter the elevator with you from the lobby surveillance camera. Though I couldn't connect to the surveillance on the 24th floor, it's safe to assume that you were there. Don't lie, or I will leak the information to the internet."

"Eep!" Joseph exclaimed. He clearly didn't expect the FLEIJA, which Penny couldn't help but smirk at. "Ehh… The talking phone convinces me that you can actually pull that off… Look, Penny, you know me as Shirley's father, so I need you to trust me. Nathan wouldn't do this! He wasn't here for terrorism… He was here to rescue that girl. Now please, don't leak anything to the internet! For Shirley's sake!" Joseph pleaded. As he did so, Penny turned the device to consult with it. "Well? I do trust him, so Nathan probably isn't the culprit. The question is… who is the culprit?"

* * *

As Oz ran from the scene, having successfully hidden from the guards as a pedestrian, he aimed his path towards the Yokohama harbor. The plan was for him to pick up C.C. and leave in Ganabati's truck, but first he had to make his way there.

He had his plan. Once he reached the main highway after running through a shortcut, he'll hitchhike and then steal someone's car. After that, it was a straight drive to his destination. He couldn't wait to have his answers: he wanted to know about C.C.'s connection to Geass, the nature of his curse, what C.C. knew about V.V., and how she knew his real name.

As he almost reached the highway, a loud explosion went off behind him. He had a strong feeling for where it came from: the Rosenberg Institute. He kept running anyway, sticking to the plan. If something went wrong, there was nothing he could do at this point.

Once he did reach the road, after sprinting through several streets and a shopping mall, he came upon a terrible sight. The truck had crashed into a building. Ganabati was not going to be happy. "What the hell happened?" he asked a man who was watching along with him from the sideline. "Oh, some kids on a motorcycle swerved into another lane and caused it to crash! Pretty crazy, right?" the onlooker exclaimed.

"Yeah, sure…" Oz said, as he started to jog past an abandoned motorcycle. As he did so, the truck reversed in its path, almost hitting him in the process. It immediately bolted down the road, now with VTOLs in pursuit. One of them was carrying a Sutherland. After Oz's red Glasgow burst forth and started attacking the aircraft, the Sutherland dropped onto the road and moved in for battle.

"Oh Naoto, please don't break my Glasgow…" Oz pleaded. As soon as they were at a safe distance away, Oz realized that he needed to follow the truck. The only question was how.

* * *

"Wait… What?" Lelouch asked before facing his friends. Suzaku stood up, equally as confused as the two students. "Lelouch?! Why are you… Why are we not… dead?" Suzaku said. Rivalz groaned as he stood up as well, before hopping into the truck and staring into the capsule alongside his best friend. "Well, it looks like it's empty. Are you telling me there was supposed to be poison gas in this thing?! What if it's invisible?! Oh no… I think I'm dying!" Rivalz exclaimed, before slowly coming to the conclusion that he was going to live.

Suzaku walked over and leapt onto the ground below, before pacing back and forth in thought. "It doesn't make sense. The military said this thing was filled with poison gas, and that the terrorists were going to use it in an attack… Maybe this… was a decoy?"

Lelouch laughed mockingly. "Suzaku, you're still a fool after all these years! Do you honestly believe that the Japanese remnants have the technological capabilities to develop such a weapon? I'll restate what I've already said... If the Japanese were planning on using it, why would they take it away from Tokyo?"

Suzaku began to growl, but before he could reply, a loud rumbling came from down the road they came in on. "Hey, that sounds like my motorcycle! Wait… who's driving my motorcycle?!" Rivalz yelled out.

Sure enough, Rivalz's motorcycle came into view, navy blue with the sidecar attached. In the drivers seat, a young man, who appeared to be their age, glared at them all with pure wrath. As soon as he pulled out a pistol aimed right at Suzaku, the soldier readied his own. Within seconds, bullets started flying as the motorcycle sped up. The blonde haired assailant leapt off and let the vehicle run straight towards Suzaku, who jumped out of the way at the last second. The two of them fired shots at each other from behind broken blocks of concrete until both of their clips ran empty.

"Oh man… Lelouch buddy, this isn't good!" Rivalz cried out as both combatants pulled out their combat knives. They proceeded to leap at each other and attacked without mercy. "I suppose you're one of the terrorists! Stand down now so that you can see a fair trial in court!"

"Shut up! I'm only here for the girl… Now, feel the wrath of my fang, Britannian scum!" the terrorist exclaimed, before parrying Suzaku's knife and drove his pitch-black blade into Suzaku's shoulder. "Gah!" Suzaku cried out in pain, stumbling backwards before the terrorist pulled it out and kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall onto his back.

"Suzaku! You bastard, let him go!" Lelouch screamed. As Suzaku fell unconscious from the pain, the attacker turned back with the crimson stained ebony blade in his hand. Suzaku was bleeding badly, and needed immediate attention. Lelouch needed to get out of this, somehow. "Who are you?! This capsule was empty, there is no girl!" he roared.

"Shut up, you lying Britannian! There's no way it would be empty!" he exclaimed, before holding his head in thought. "There's… no way…" he continued, before staring at his knife, contemplating something. Surprisingly, Rivalz stepped forward. "It's true! We fell into this truck by accident. I think the driver is hurt, and there was this guy with red hair…"

"Nathan," Lelouch answered, causing both of the others to look his way. "His name… is Nathan Stadtfeld. I remember now, he's Kallen's older brother! We saw him at the hospital, remember, Rivalz?" he continued. Rivalz's mouth dropped out as he slammed his palm with his fist. "Yeah, you're right! Good goin buddy!"

"No… No, no, no… He wouldn't have…" the man groaned as he white knuckled the hilt of his blade. He bent over and growled, exhausted and full of rage. "That son of a bitch… That's the real reason why he used me as a decoy, to get me away from the capsule after the heist… Damnit!" he screamed, before running over and stealing the motorcycle again.

"Hey! That's my bike, give it back!" Rivalz yelled, before the terrorist drove off into the ghetto. Lelouch immediately ran over to Suzaku and held him in his arms, taking Nathan's jacket and pressing it on the wound. "Come on Suzaku, don't die on me! I only just found you again, you can't die!" Lelouch begged. "Oh man… wait, Lelouch, look!" Rivalz said as he tapped his friend's shoulder.

"Come on Suzaku, don't die! What is it Rivalz?! Can't you see I need your help?!" Lelouch exclaimed as Rivalz continued to poke him. "Don't worry buddy, help has arrived! Our glorious military is here!" Rivalz replied, pointing directly at a group of soldiers across the way from the truck. Judging from their uniforms, they were Prince Clovis's royal guard. "Schoolboys? Ha! The terrorists are even willing to recruit you? They must be desperate! Tell us now, where is the girl?!" the commanding officer stated as he held up his pistol.

"What?! No, we're not the terrorists, we're innocent! Please, we need your help! A soldier got hurt!" Rivalz cried out with a pleading tone. Due to the officer's question about the girl, which was the same as the terrorist's, they weren't going to help. Lelouch wondered why they both wanted this supposed girl. He needed to know who she was.

"Enough foolish games! Hand over the girl and I may consider letting you live!" the officer roared, firing off a shot between the two students. Rivalz's confidence was gone, replaced with tears and fear. Lelouch couldn't let it end this way. He had so much to do, so many plans unachieved. He had to protect Nunnally.

He only had one shot at getting out of this. He reached into his pocket, flipped a switch on the radio he took from Nathan's jacket, then put his hands up. "You're right. We're your only way of getting what you want. For that reason alone… you can't kill us."

While everyone stared at the purple-eyed student, Rivalz wanted to protest that Lelouch didn't actually know where the girl was, but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Luckily for him, Lelouch was much smarter. He supposed that the royal guard had no other means of tracking the girl down at the moment, and they also seemed desperate, so that made him and Rivalz indispensable and necessary for the time being. Fortunately, his plan paid off, and the officer lowered his gun.

"Guh… very well then. If you bring us what you stole, we promise to leave you unharmed," the officer said with a grin. A blunt faced lie, but good enough. "Excellent. Right this way then. We'll be passing through the street in front of the old school building."

As they started walking, Rivalz walked up beside him and whispered, "Lelouch, what are you talking about?! We don't know where this girl is! Why are we going past the old school building anyway?!" In response, Lelouch began to laugh. "Hey! Why are you laughing?!" the officer yelled as he readjusted his firearm. Lelouch stifled himself, before turning his head towards the officer and smiled. "No reason officer. No reason at all," he said. Meanwhile, inside his pocket, the small portable radio was listening to everything.

* * *

"No reason officer. No reason at all," the voice said through the Glasgow's built in radio, tuned to the frequency of the radios that the resistance used. Naoto snickered as he hid inside his Knightmare in an abandoned tunnel. "Smug bastard, whoever you are… Very well. Should we take out an entire platoon of royal guards? Why the hell not?"

"We hear you loud and clear, Boss. We'll take care of the guards while you take care of those Sutherlands," Ohgi said on the other end of the line. Naoto sighed, "Look Ohgi, you don't have to call me that… I'm not your boss, I'm your best friend," before leaping out of his hole with the Glasgow and started his search for the enemy. He had confidence in using the Glasgow, but he knew that these enemy Sutherlands were far more experienced than he was.

"There you are! It is time for you to face my righteous loyalty to Britannia! Face me you coward!" came a man's booming voice from a nearby Sutherland. Naoto knew he would be difficult to face, due to the fact that he had already shot his Glasgow's arm off, so he wasn't going to fall for his taunts. Instead, he was going to draw their attention away from the school and then play a game of hide and seek. He knew these ruins like the back of his hand, so he still had a chance.

"Oh yeah? Then come on you bastard! Show me what you got!" Naoto yelled, speeding away from the area. The enemy Knightmare was in tow, firing every time they thought they had a shot, as well as launching their slash harkens right past his cockpit.

Once they were far enough away from the school, Naoto disappeared into another underground tunnel. The enemy passed right over him, screaming about his cowardice. "There's nothing cowardly about leaving an impossible fight," he said after switching off his external speakers and switched to the radio.

* * *

Now in front of the school building, Lelouch closed his eyes and hoped that his idea paid off. "Rivalz, whatever happens, just follow my lead. Understand?" he whispered. Rivalz reluctantly nodded.

"Well? Where is she? Don't tell me you've lied to me, because you'll regret having wasted my time…" the officer growled. Lelouch turned around, glaring with a fire in his eyes. "Hmm?" the officer muttered in confusion. With a flick of his wrist, extending it beyond his body before throwing it out to his side, Lelouch began to speak.

"Tell me, officer. Who gave you the right to kill us?" Lelouch asked. The officer stood back and began to laugh. "The emperor of Britannia, ever since the empire granted me the title of officer of the royal guard. Now I suppose that your hesitation to tell me where the girl is says that you've been lying to me. Therefore, I assume that those were your last words. Goodbye, boy."

"And you would be incorrect!" Lelouch exclaimed, causing Rivalz to falter behind him. "What did you say?" the officer asked, readying his pistol, yet unable to fire. He was probably so used to his enemies being afraid that he was paralyzed by Lelouch's confidence. Lelouch stepped forward. "No one has the right to kill… though we do so anyway! As such, being an act considered as a crime by all, it is, in and of itself, a crime punishable by death!"

The officer began to shake. He was afraid. He realized he had made a mistake, yet he didn't know how. "What are you saying?!" he screamed. Lelouch began to laugh, more, and more, and more. He laughed maniacally, causing Rivalz to cower in fear as a mass of terrorists slowly emerged from behind the soldiers, guns drawn and ready.

"What I'm trying to say… is that those who kill should be prepared to be killed!" Lelouch decreed, a law for all to follow whether they pledged allegiance to him or not. He thrust his hand into the air, grasped in like it was his victory, then threw it towards the officer. "I command you… All of you… Kill these men! Bring them to justice!"

"What?!" The officer screamed as he turned around, before his body was littered with lead. As a barrage of bullets rendered the royal guard full of holes, Lelouch took Rivalz and ran from the scene into the school building, managing to avoid the occasional bullet that flew past them. They ran as fast as they could, even after the gunfire stopped. Once at the roof, they both bent over to catch their breath, and then Lelouch pulled out the radio.

"Did you appreciate my gift?" he asked while attempting to conceal his lack of breath. There was static, then a reply. "We did. We heard you… command us? I mean, we would've done it anyway, but… who are you?" the man on the other end asked, causing a wide, devilish grin to grow across Lelouch's face, just as Rivalz stared at him as though he was now living a nightmare.

"I will tell you who I am at another time, but for now, I have a proposition for you…" Lelouch asked, followed with more static, and then a reply. "And what would that be?" the man asked in return. As he did so, Lelouch looked out across the ruins of the ghetto, directly at a G1 mobile base that had entered the area. Knightmares and teams of troops were flooding out of it; VTOLs scouring the landscape; gunfire lit up Shinjuku like a raging fire. The Japanese were being slaughtered, all in search of a single girl. Now was his time to create change. A dangerous smile grew across his face as he asked, "Right now, Prince Clovis is waging war on you… How would you like to win?"


	9. A Matter Of Trust

**Memory 9**  
**A Matter Of Trust**

* * *

As he looked upon the ghetto before him, Lelouch felt a rush of adrenaline that he'd never felt before in his life. This was it. This was the day he would be reborn and wreak havoc upon Britannia's forces. The only problem was that he wasn't prepared; at least, not as prepared as he wanted to be.

He wished he had a Knightmare. He wished he didn't have to babysit his best friend. Hell, he wished he had a superpower. Without a weapon, with a considerable handicap, and no form of divine intervention, he was facing down an army with nothing but sheer wit. It was an impossible challenge, yet he had no choice but to face it head on.

The resistance fighter on the other end of the radio replied, "Wait a minute, Clovis is waging war on us? Then… we have to run. We need to evacuate as many people as we can! I knew we shouldn't have done this…" the man said. "Don't run," Lelouch immediately replied, carrying a tone of confidence. "If you run now, Japan will never have a chance at returning from its grave. The Japanese in this area have little to no means of escape from their homes… Do you actually believe that you can save them all while running away?"

In the silence that followed, Lelouch knew the man's answer before he could even respond. "No, we can't save all of them… but we can still try! We have no other choice, so for the moment, we'll have to make due with knowing that we saved a few lives or died trying!" the man replied.

It was just as expected. Lelouch had planned for these moments, always contemplating each and every move he would have to make, including every possible action made by his enemies and potential allies. Progress in this unstable and unbalanced world relied on the same rules as a battlefield: only those with prepared strategies and experience in tactics could maneuver the minefield that is life.

He knew that the Japanese resistance had never won a battle, albeit with the exception of the miracle of Itsukushima during the war, because they were always quick to cut their losses and run while they still had the chance to fight another day. They made a habit of losing, and thus always expected to lose. It was pitiful, so he wanted to end their losing streak. "You expect that you'll lose only because you've forgotten how to win. I will give you your victory, but only if you listen to everything that I say," he said with fire in his eyes.

While Lelouch spoke on the radio, Rivalz was sitting behind him, holding his knees to his chest. "Lelouch? C-can we go home now?" he stuttered, shaking in fear. Lelouch held the radio at his waist and turned to him, the wind blowing through his hair as he stood against the backdrop of what appeared to be a Britannian wave committed for the annihilation of the ghetto. "I'm taking you home Rivalz… but the path won't be easy. Do you trust me?"

Rivalz clenched his fists. "I… As afraid as I am by what just happened… By what you just did… I still believe in you. Besides, it's not like there's any other way out other than following you, am I right?" Rivalz nervously laughed. He was clearly terrified of him now, but that was a matter Lelouch would have to deal with at a later time. It was a shame that Rivalz should have to see this side of him, but it was unavoidable if they wanted to survive.

Before Lelouch could reply to his friend, the radio picked up again. "Hey, look… I talked it over with the rest of our group, and we're willing to listen. If we do as you say, can we really win this? Can we save Shinjuku?" they asked, sounding both hopeful and skeptical. Lelouch grinned. "I promise you, we can win this," he declared. Whether or not he could actually keep this promise was irrelevant. They either won this battle, or all perished before Britannia's might.

Then, for a moment, there was static. Lelouch looked at the radio inquisitively, before it started to speak. He recognized it as none other than Nathan Stadtfeld. "Yeah, about that… who the fuck are you?" he asked bluntly.

Lelouch rolled his eyes. This was the one piece that he didn't look forward to dealing with: the opposing king. "I might ask the same of you. I assume that you've been listening in on the conversation, so I'll be frank. We don't have much time, so it's in your best interest that-" Lelouch began to say before being cut off. "No, asshole, I asked you a question. If you can't even tell us who you are, why should we trust you?" Nathan pushed, digging harder for an answer.

Lelouch immediately began to laugh. "Trust? I never asked for your trust, because I know that at this current moment, I have no reason to deserve your trust. To be clear, meaningful trust in war cannot be created without success. Without proof that I'm likely to succeed, you can have no reason to trust me. So no, if you were to trust me now, you would be a fool."

Lelouch continued, "What I'm asking for is the opportunity to prove myself and earn that trust. If you want answers from me, I would have to trust you in return, which I don't. That being said, we're all in the middle of a battle, with thousands of lives on the line, and I'm offering a way out, to which you immediately question if I can be trusted? Do you want to save this ghetto from Britannia's wrath or not?"

As Lelouch's face slowly turned into a scowl, Rivalz sat speechless behind him. Based on the silence of the radio, he found that the two men on the other ends of the connection were speechless as well, until the man at the base of the school spoke up.

"Listen Boss, he's right… we can't do anything, and unless you have a plan, we're gonna have to follow this guy," he said to Nathan with a solemn voice. Lelouch knew they didn't want to follow him, but when there was only one good path to follow, it's nearly impossible not to follow it. Lelouch had absolute control. Unfortunately, Nathan replied, "Actually, I do have a plan," to which Lelouch's eyebrows arched. "You do? Very well, let's hear it," Lelouch challenged him. The chances were high that it wasn't good enough, and that Lelouch would remain unchallenged.

"First off, we're getting these innocents off the streets. Set up the medical squad in the abandoned tunnel 3 blocks north of the school, and prepare for as many people as possible. We'll set up a perimeter around the area, work in teams, divert any unwanted attention from the tunnel and fight back hard, quick and silent," Nathan said.

"We'll send out groups to the north, south, and west to save as many people as we can; we have to accept the fact that the eastern sector is doomed, as it's already been overrun from what I've seen. In order to stop the fighting… I'll tell them that I have what they want, and I'll only hand it over if they leave Shinjuku," Nathan continued.

"Obviously they'll decimate the ghetto anyway once they realize it's a bluff, so you guys will have to evacuate through the tunnels while I stall them. I'll turn myself in as collateral to keep them back for as long as I can… Shinjuku will fall, but we'll have saved as many lives as possible," Nathan finished, having caught everyone's full attention, including Lelouch's.

"Naoto, no! You can't sacrifice yourself, they'll execute you!" the man at the base of the school yelled out. With this outburst, it became clear the Nathan was actually named Naoto. Not only was he Kallen's brother, but he appeared to be Japanese as well, which meant that Kallen was probably Japanese. She could've been shot because of terrorist activities, but the truth was uncertain. Lelouch swore to find out what had happened.

He had to admit though, Naoto's plan wasn't half bad, if not for the fact that it resulted in losing both the battle and their leader. "You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself. If you follow me, you can defeat Britannia, as well as come out of this alive," Lelouch replied. "Defeat Britannia…" the man on the ground repeated back, eliciting a growl from Naoto. "Ohgi, don't listen to this guy! We don't even know who he is, and winning is impossible without massive casualties!" he barked, now starting to get on Lelouch's nerves.

"That's enough!" Lelouch yelled, causing Rivalz to jump out of his skin. "Cutting your losses again will only make defeating them impossible in the future! You can't run from this!" he exclaimed. Now, the fate of the resistance was left in Ohgi's hands.

"I… I…" Ohgi stuttered, before going silent for a moment. In a tone of finality, Ohgi replied. "I… I choose both of you. I trust you Naoto, but if there's a way out of this, I have to go with this stranger. You two need to work together."

"What?!" Naoto yelled out, leaving Lelouch to groan in disappointment. He had foreseen this as a possibility, which he wasn't looking forward to. Unfortunately, it appeared that he didn't have a choice. "Very well. I will incorporate Naoto's plan with my own."

A loud growl came from the device. "Damnit Ohgi, I know you don't like the outcome of my plan, but what choice do we have?! I'm not going to have the resistance be slaughtered just because the thought of winning is appealing! Damnit Ohgi, don't do this!" he screamed, almost too loud for the radio to handle. "I'm sorry Naoto, but I'm choosing to have faith in this stranger, even if we can't trust him… So, whoever you are, what's your plan?" Ohgi replied, though he sounded somewhat reluctant.

With a grin, Lelouch spoke. "First off, let's do as Naoto said. Set up the medical squad in the tunnel and set up a perimeter. However, rather than search for civilians yourselves, you should spread the word to anyone that you come across to help evacuate the area instead. In the meantime… Naoto, where are you right now?"

"I'm… in a Glasgow. I'm hiding from the purists, who are dangerously close to finding my location. Why do you ask?" Naoto replied. "You're in a Knightmare? That's excellent… In that case, do you think you can stop a train?" Lelouch said, already knowing fully well that Naoto was in the red Glasgow from the military truck.

Naoto was silent for a moment. It was likely that he wanted to continue complaining, but it was clear that that wouldn't lead anywhere. Instead, he complied. "Stop a train? What the hell are you talking about?"

Lelouch smirked. G1 mobile bases could only hold so many Knightmares, so since Clovis only brought one of the behemoth battle stations to Shinjuku, it meant that they would require more KMFs from another source. Clovis himself was almost certainly in the mobile base, due to the severity and importance of the assault, so if they wanted to both scour the ghetto and protect their prince at the same time, they would have to request reinforcements. In other words, Lelouch knew his next move.

"There should be a shipment coming in from the western depots, so once your resistance has their hands on that, you'll be ready for the fight ahead. Send half of your forces with the medical team, and the rest to recover the supplies. The longer we wait, the slimmer our chance of success becomes, so get to it!" Lelouch ordered.

"Very well. I'll report back when we reach the tracks," Ohgi replied before his end went silent. Down below the school building, Lelouch could see the resistance group splitting up, half moving north while the other half went south. As soon as they were confirmed to be on their way to their positions, Lelouch started running for the stairwell with Rivalz in tow.

"Alright Naoto, what's the status of your Knightmare?" Lelouch asked as he jogged down the hallway, albeit slowly due to his lack of fitness. "It's not good," Naoto replied, "My energy filler is almost dead, I lost an arm, and my rifle went with it. I shut off the power for the time being to save power, of which I've only got about 5 minutes worth."

Lelouch cursed his luck as he descended a staircase and made his way for the front door. "It'll be enough… All I'll need you to do is pose as a distraction later on, and you can let me do the rest. I'll contact you when it's your turn to act. Over and out," Lelouch said, clicking the radio off before the redhead could respond. Once out of the building, Rivalz nearly doubled over at the sight before them. A pile of bodies were laid out on the ground, riddled with bullet holes. They were the royal guard, no longer on duty for His Highness Prince Clovis.

"Lelouch… why were they going to kill us? I get why you had to… have them killed… but why? What the hell is going on?!" Rivalz cried out, dropping to his knees in fear as an explosion went off a few blocks away, followed by horrific screaming and gunfire. Lelouch approached him and knelt down, before placing a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know either buddy, but don't worry, I won't let you die today. I'll get you home, but I need you to stay with me, alright? Just hold on a little longer."

In truth, Lelouch had a vague idea as to why they were going to be killed, but informing his friend on the matter wouldn't help at all. They were witnesses to something that Clovis didn't want anyone else to see. The military was looking for a girl, but for an unknown reason. It could've been political. She could have information that could damage Britannia, or she could be a terrorist as well. Uninformed speculation wasn't helpful, so for now, he couldn't be bothered to wonder.

After helping his friend up from his knees, Lelouch walked over to the corpses, much to Rivalz's disdain. "Lelouch, what are you doing?! Leave them be!" Rivalz exclaimed. "I'm sorry Rivalz, but this is the only way… I need a disguise," Lelouch replied, as he began to unbutton and remove the deceased officer's uniform. After a minute or so, Lelouch put the officer's uniform over his school uniform, then donned the military cap.

Rivalz inhaled, then exhaled. "Lelouch… buddy… why the hell are you doing this?" Rivalz asked. "Do you trust me?" Lelouch replied in turn with a sly smirk. Rivalz pouted, as was to be expected. "You've got some nerve to ask me that after your little speech about trust! I said I don't have a choice, alright? Just… do what you have to do to get us out of here!" he said as he crossed his arms.

"Excellent. Now then, let's keep going," Lelouch declared, as he started jogging east. By his calculation, the closer he was to the G1, the better his chances were of encountering a Knightmare. Soon enough, the screeching of landspinners filled his ears, as a Sutherland skidded to a halt right in front of them. After the Factsphere opened up on the KMF's forehead, blinking various lights as it checked the immediate vicinity, the machine simulated a military salute. "Sir, do you require assistance? Where is the rest of your platoon?"

A slight grin grew on Lelouch's face as his plan appeared to be working. "Yes, I do. Terrorists massacred my platoon. I would like to have your Knightmare, so that I may escort this civilian to safety and take the fight to these monkeys myself," Lelouch called out. "Yes sir, understood," the pilot said through the loud speaker of the machine, before exiting the cockpit and descending on a rope. "Here is the key, and the code is CT90T9W7. Also, sir, if I may ask… are you alright?" he inquired, due to the condition of Lelouch's uniform.

Lelouch held back his laughter; this was too easy. "Yes soldier, I'll be fine. It's not my blood, it belongs to some of the damn terrorists that killed my men. The rest that survived headed east towards the base. Contact your commanding officer and tell them to refocus their attention there," Lelouch replied, effectively misleading the higher ups on the other side.

The soldier saluted again and pulled out his radio. Lelouch would've done it himself, but his voice would've been recognized as someone other than the actual officer. As the soldier relayed the message, Lelouch ran to the embarking rope and took it up to the cockpit. Once inside, he entered the key and code, causing the machine to light up across panoramic display screens, illuminating the dual joysticks and instrument panels.

Thanks to the Ashford Academy having Knightmare simulation pods in the basement, back from when the Ashford family developed KMFs for civilian use, Lelouch had trained himself thoroughly in the use of a Knightmare. Even though he could never achieve a devicer rating higher than 84% in a simulated Sutherland, it was considered above average, so he was content with his result. Now that he was in a real Knightmare, he was glad that it wasn't all that different from a simulation.

Using the joysticks, he knelt the machine down with an open hand towards Rivalz, who reluctantly climbed onto the palm. "Hold on tight, civilian," Lelouch said over the speaker, staying in character as to keep fooling the soldier. After Rivalz wrapped his arms around the machine's finger, Lelouch turned the KMF and sped away.

All along the path ahead, Lelouch forced himself to look past the soldiers that were killing the Japanese, mercilessly and without thought. What was worse was that most of the infantry were honorary Britannians: former Japanese turned loyal to the Empire. Lelouch couldn't help but hate these soldiers for betraying and killing their own people, let alone fighting for Britannia, even though it was their only option at possibly having a better life. He wondered if he should hate Suzaku for being a soldier as well, due to the hypocrisy of his actions.

The drive back to the highway was short. Once they were on the empty road, Lelouch set Rivalz down, who was now shaking uncontrollably. "Rivalz, are you alright?" Lelouch asked. Rivalz balled up his fists and looked up at the cockpit. "Do I look okay? I just want to go back to school! Ditch the Knightmare so we can get out of here!" he yelled. Lelouch sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't Rivalz… I'll see you tomorrow. Tell anybody who asks that I'm still gambling. You can't tell anyone the truth, okay? I'll be back, I swear!"

As Lelouch's Sutherland stood back up, Rivalz began to scream. "Lelouch, what are you talking about?! You need to come back to school with me, right now! Lelouch!" he yelled, as Lelouch disappeared back into the ghetto. As he drove through the ruins, Lelouch pulled out his radio and turned it on. "Naoto, can you hear me? Are you still there?"

For a moment there was static, and then a voice. "Yeah, but not for long… There were a couple of close calls, but they still haven't found me," Naoto said. Lelouch sighed a breath of relief. "That's good. Don't you worry, you'll be fixed up and ready to fight again soon enough. Do you think you can get out of there and make your way to the train tracks?" Lelouch asked, only to be answered with temporary silence.

"Seriously… Whatever you have planned better work! I can do that, but I need to know what you're planning!" Naoto eventually groaned out. Lelouch couldn't help but snicker behind his teeth. "Now then, what would be the fun in that? Just start moving towards the tracks," Lelouch teased. If Naoto was going to be a thorn in his side, he might as well amuse himself.

"Oh, you piece of… Now you listen… When I find you… Oh, I'm so going to kick your ass!" Naoto growled, to which Lelouch stifled a laugh. "After I save your life? How disrespectful. Now then, start moving," he commanded. Within moments, after another growl from the other end of the connection, a loud, booming second voice came over the radio. "There you are you scum! Nobody hides from me, Jeremiah Gottwald!" they roared, eliciting Naoto to reply, "Screw you, and who the hell declares their name like that?!"

As planned, Lelouch quickly brought up the IFF display on the screen. Acting as a double-edged sword, the identification of friend and foe system was designed for tacticians to see the battlefield from the command center. Lelouch calculated where Naoto was by tracking a signal rapidly making its way south; a Knightmare that he assumed was piloted by the man who revealed his name, Jeremiah Gottwald.

"Now what?!" Naoto screamed. "You're doing fine, just keep heading for the tracks! Just a bit longer…" Lelouch replied in a calm and collected tone. He raced along the streets, around and over piles of rubble as fast as he could. Eventually he came across a bridge, then stopped. "Naoto, I want you to turn right in 5 seconds!" Lelouch commanded loudly. He had to hope that he got the message.

After 5 seconds passed, a red Glasgow banked right onto the street that ran under the bridge, heading straight for him. Lelouch readied his rifle and zoomed in on the display. "Shit! There's a Knightmare on the bridge! You led me into a trap!" Naoto cried out as Jeremiah followed behind with his Sutherland. Lelouch smirked as he aimed for his target.

"Don't worry Naoto… Perhaps now you'll trust me," Lelouch said. With a squeeze of the trigger, his rifle fired a burst shot directly at Jeremiah's Sutherland, blowing the machine to pieces after Jeremiah activated his auto eject. As Jeremiah was safely launched inside his cockpit towards the G1 command base, Naoto looked up at Lelouch, then back towards his former assailant.

"Wait… On the bridge… Is… Is that you?" Naoto asked. "It is. Now come on, let's go stop a train," Lelouch replied. Using his slash harkens, Naoto hoisted himself up onto the bridge and stood beside Lelouch. "I still don't trust you. You may have saved my life, but until I look in your eyes… Until I know that you're telling the truth… You've earned nothing. I don't trust anyone without knowing who they are."

Lelouch sighed heavily. "And you're telling me that you can tell that someone is telling the truth or not just by looking in their eyes? What, is that your super power?" Lelouch mocked. For a moment, Naoto was silent before replying. "I've honed my ability to tell if someone's lying to me. With enough practice, it can be easy to pick up on certain micro expressions that people make when they lie."

Lelouch was impressed, if that were true. Until he could find a way of testing Naoto's ability, he had no way to be sure. He had heard of such a skill, but it was extremely difficult to master. How a man from the ghetto could have learned such a useful ability was hard to believe. "Very well… Perhaps one day I'll let you see my eyes, but until then, we have to win this battle. Let's go."

With nothing left to be said, the two Knightmares raced along the streets while using Lelouch's IFF transponder to avoid detection. Once at the train tracks, they found that they were just in time. "Well, here it is… Let's hope you were right about what it's carrying, otherwise we're going with my plan," Naoto said.

Standing side by side on the tracks, the two braced for impact as the train finally rammed into them as they caught the vehicle. The screeching of train wheels filled the air until it came to a stop. After a minute or so, the resistance emerged from the ghetto ruins nearby after waiting for them to show up, cheering with their success.

Without a moment to waste, the group took to opening the boxcar doors, which all revealed state-of-the-art Sutherlands. "Hell yeah! The stranger was right! Check this out Boss, with these we can actually beat those Britannian bastards!" a man with spiky brown hair shouted with a toothy grin. "Yeah. Tamaki, we need to have a chat later. In private. Everyone else, get in a Knightmare. Today, we're going to war."

"Uh… Sure thing Boss…" Tamaki nervously replied as he walked to one of the machines. Lelouch hoped that the group could figure out how to use them quickly. In the meantime, Lelouch turned to leave. "Wait! Where are you going? At least tell us who you are!" Ohgi called out. At first it seemed strange that Naoto didn't ask first, until he said, "Don't bother Ohgi. This guy doesn't actually care about our trust… He won't reveal shit."

He wasn't entirely correct. It was true that he wouldn't reveal his identity, but Lelouch did value their trust. Whether or not it made them fools to trust him made no difference; blind loyalty is still loyalty. "I have reasons for hiding who I am… maybe your boss won't trust me without knowing who I am, but with the success I bring, perhaps by then you will trust me," Lelouch proclaimed. Without another word, Lelouch disappeared into the ghetto.

He left because he needed a place to hide, so that he could orchestrate the battle to come. He had to plan. He had to calculate. He had to design his web that would ensnare and kill the 3rd prince of Britannia, Clovis la Britannia. He was facing an impossible challenge, yet even when he had every chance to leave with Rivalz, he chose to fight anyway.

After ascending a high rise apartment building and perching himself on the edge, he thought about his favorite game: chess. He brought up the IFF map and contemplated the resistance Knightmares; his "pieces". With a devilish smirk, he spoke as if he was sitting across from his opponent. "Well Clovis, it's been a while… How about we play a game of chess? For old times sake? You already made your move… and now I'll make mine."


End file.
